Einstein Bagel

Since, 1956, “Old Timers” was a tavern located on the corner of Michigan Ave. and Lake St. in downtown Chicago. The Einstein Corporation obtained in this site in early 2009 with the goal of opening their famous eatery before the Christmas holiday. The project included demolition of the existing tenant finishes and removing the original 2-stop elevator to regain priceless square footage. The collective efforts of Einstein Corporate in Denver, the Franchisee located in Missouri, and Ridgeland Architects from nearby Oak Park, IL were coordinated via weekly conference calls and email status reports. This project was in essence a MEP design-build scenario given the numerous exhaust and cooking challenges a multiple floor restaurant design creates. Given the addition of numerous logistic hurdles the antiquated building presented, the project was opened on time before the Christmas holiday.