Clarke’s, a new 24-hour restaurant located at 1451 E. 53rd St., will open its doors at 8 a.m. Feb. 13. During its opening day, Clarke’s will offer a 10 percent discount for each total bill from 8 a.m. to midnight as a pre-Valentine’s Day customer appreciation special.
Officials said menu choices include a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items such as omelets, specialty salads, stir-fry dishes, sandwiches, desserts and a host of other items. Entree prices range from $1 to $13.
UChicago officials brought the all-night eatery to Hyde Park’s key commercial corridor to address the interests of students and the community for more late-night amenities.
“As we continue to work closely with the community, the City and Alderman Will Burns to strengthen our ongoing revitalization efforts, we believe adding the right mix of restaurants and retail businesses will bring added value to Hyde Park that residents have been asking for over the past several years,” said James Hennessy, director of Commercial Real Estate Operations for the University.
A new exterior facade, storefront windows and signage have been built as part of the new 4,000-square-foot restaurant. In addition, the storefront windows will open to the street to complement outdoor seating during the warmer months. T-Mobile occupies the remaining space of the University-owned building and also has received a facelift.
Established in 1986, Clarke’s has existing locations in Lincoln Park, Evanston, Lakeview and Bucktown.
“We are very proud to make Hyde Park our new home for Clarke’s as a key destination on the South Side of Chicago,” said Steve Dionysopoulos, co-owner of Clarke’s. “With the rapid growth in an important business area along 53rd Street, we believe that our 24-hour restaurant will meet the needs of both students and the community at large. We are very excited to be a part of the Hyde Park community.”
The announcement of Clarke’s opening follows clothier Akira declaring its intentions in late January to create its first flagship store on 53rd Street in the former Borders building. Akira is set to open this fall.
Last year, University officials also announced plans to house Five Guys as the inaugural tenant in the office and theater buildings at 53rd Street and Harper Avenue. Five Guys opened last September. The buildings also will house a four-screen movie theater that will open this fall, operated by the local New 400 Theaters.
The University is also partnering with the community, City and an array of civic leaders to build a mixed-use complex as part of an ambitious redevelopment of the Harper Court property led by Harper Court Partners, LLC.
The Harper Court project, which is slated for completion in 2013, will include 150,000 square feet of office space, approximately 80,000 square feet of retail space, a Hyatt Place hotel, LA Fitness and underground and above-ground parking. More than 800 construction jobs are expected during the course of the project, in addition to permanent retail and hospitality jobs.
Additional retail, restaurant and entertainment announcements are expected within the next few weeks and months, said UChicago officials.
—Prof. Kunle Odunsi
