Eastman Egg Randolph Street, Now Open, Hopes Restaurant Row Doesn’t Forget Breakfast
Randolph Restaurant Row lacks an abundance of weekday breakfast options, and that’s the void the Eastman Egg Company wants to fill. Ownership today opened their West Loop location, the third restaurant for the burgeoning local mini-chain. While the first two restaurants serve a downtown/commuter crowd, founder and CEO Hunter Swartz is excited to serve locals in more of a neighborhood setting.
The success of the West Loop could very well dictate the chain’s future. If the new restaurant grows popular, they’ll continue to expand in more residential areas. If not, they’ll focus more on the commuters they’ve served in The Loop at at Ogilvie Transportation Center. While Eastman is still in negotiations over a fourth location (earlier reports pegged them for Lakeview), growth is very much on Swartz’s mind. They’ve been very public about that and the infusions of cash that have led to their growth from a food truck.
“Hopefully in the next year we’re able to find more investors and expand to a couple more locations in Chicago,” Swartz said. “I hope one day we could even get to a coast.”
Swartz—a Seattle native—originally arrived in Chicago for business school. He’s lived in the West Loop since 2014 and believes Eastman’s farm-to-table options and quick counter service will be benefits for the neighborhood. While their bread and butter are breakfast and lunch, Swartz said late-night hours could be a possibility down the road. Imagine soaking up a bit of that alcohol from a Randolph Street bar with an egg and sausage biscuit. Swartz stressed the quality of Eastman’s vendors which include Slagel Family Farms for eggs and sausage as well as Beeler’s Pure Pork for bacon. Eastman’s menu changes, and they’re not afraid to add new items as they did with a hamburger and turkey burger earlier this year.
Over in the West Loop, the restaurant has room for 18 seats. They’ll have an outdoor patio for the warmer months. Swartz said the butcher block counter table and rolled steel are throwbacks to the food truck.
Swartz also wants to expand the restaurant’s mobile app. Using smartphone GPS, it better ensures orders are prepared fresh and aren’t sitting on a shelf for long before customer pickup. Eggs are one item that really benefits from freshness.
So will Eastman Egg be a game changer for the West Loop? Find out today.
Eastman Egg Company., 939 W. Randolph St., (773) 231-8865, open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
Twitter @Shokdiesel
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