RKF, the exclusive retail leasing agent for Bareburger in Chicago, has arranged a 2,985-square-foot lease for the fast-growing, award-winning organic burger micro-chain at 3355-61 North Lincoln Avenue, a new 20,000-square-foot retail development in West Lakeview. Situated at the southeast corner of North Lincoln Avenue and West Roscoe Street, it will be Bareburger’s first Chicagoland location.
The new restaurant, set to open in summer 2015, is the first tenant to sign a lease at the new development, completing an important milestone in the retail revitalization of the North Lincoln Avenue corridor. The transaction also continues to build on Bareburger’s growth plans outside of the New York Tri-State area, which has seen recent openings in Columbus, OH and Philadelphia, and upcoming locations in Washington, D.C., Santa Monica, CA, Toronto, ON, and Berlin, Germany.
RKF’s Managing Director Lara Keene and Associate Cooper Annenberg represented Bareburger in the transaction, while RKF Managing Director Anthony Campagni and Senior Associate Elan Rasansky represented the landlord, L3 Capital, LLC.
Developed as a team effort, the micro-chain’s Chicagoland growth strategy was created in partnership with Bareburger Group management, local Chicago Operating Partner Jerry Brunton and RKF. The new location, positioned directly across the street from the new Paulina Brown Line “L” stop, will be one of four Bareburger restaurants planned for the Chicago area over the next four years.
“The franchisee was looking to match Bareburger’s personality to the fabric of the neighborhood where they would locate, and this location accomplishes just that,” offered Ms. Keene. “This is a loyal community of residents and businesses, and it aligns well to Bareburger’s core demographic. Bareburger is proud to be a part of the vision of growth and revitalization that the local communities, the City of Chicago, and L3 have for this stretch of Lincoln Avenue.”
Mr. Campagni added: “This strong corner location, which will serve as an anchor to the retail revival of this corridor in West Lakeview, coupled with its close proximity to the Paulina L stop, make it an ideal location for Chicagoland’s first Bareburger. We believe that Bareburger will complement the area of Lakeview, Roscoe Village and the surrounding neighborhoods and anticipate that it will become an integral part of the community.” According to Mr. Campagni, over 20,000 square feet of prime retail space is currently available for lease at the property. Nearby co-tenants include Starbucks, Chase Bank, the Little Gym, XSportFitness, CorePower Yoga, Whole Foods Market, Wishbone, Frasca and Bank of America.
