Crain’s had the big deal news this morning, that Paul Kahan and co. at One Off Hospitality Group have signed a deal to open a place in the Sutton Place Hotel at Rush and Bellevue. A generically-named spot called Whiskey Bar & Grill currently occupies the space, but the new owners of the hotel apparently bought out their lease with the intention from the start of having something higher profile there— and they’re certainly succeeding with this announcement. So what does Kahan have planned for a space that will put him head to head with all of Rush Street, from big money steakhouses like Gibson’s to fine dining at Café des Architectes to all kinds of bars and fast food joints? No one has any idea yet, which leads to this hilarious bit of speculation at Crain’s: “Fare in a boutique hotel is more likely to settle in the middle to high range rather than the $3 tacos and whiskey shots offered at Big Star.” No, really? We totally saw a Bakersfield taco and PBR bar there.
Anyway, while we’ll all be waiting to hear more about this, possibly well into next year, we do have a little info, or the lack of new info, about another rumored Kahan project, a New York edition of Avec. We recently asked Koren Grieveson if it had moved any closer to happening, and she said no, with the company’s attention focused on getting Publican Quality Meats up and running, it hasn’t really progressed but is still on the horizon. With this new project on the way, one wonders if it is about to get pushed back that much further. [Crain’s/Chicago Real Estate Daily]
