# Chicago Union Station Great Hall Retail Space



## TylerP42 (Jan 30, 2016)

When I was getting a tour a couple days ago, I was told all the old retail space (including the old giant Fred Harvey restaurant) will be renovated and leased.

What do you think would be good retail/restaurants in the Great Hall?


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## neroden (Jan 30, 2016)

Local restaurants are usually a better choice than chains. For retail, it's suprising how often it's nice to have someplace selling *suitcases* in a train station... it can also be terribly convenient to have UPS or FedEx or the Post Office. When I'm coming back from a convention I often find myself mailing stuff all over.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Jan 30, 2016)

neroden said:


> Local restaurants are usually a better choice than chains. For retail, it's suprising how often it's nice to have someplace selling *suitcases* in a train station... it can also be terribly convenient to have UPS or FedEx or the Post Office. When I'm coming back from a convention I often find myself mailing stuff all over.


I agree with everything neroden says here, although I would make an exception for a chain if it were Panera.

Also, a newstand/bookstore (local, not a chain) would be nice.


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## SarahZ (Jan 30, 2016)

TylerP42 said:


> What do you think would be good retail/restaurants in the Great Hall?


Metro Deli.

(Seriously. I miss that place.)

I also like the idea of a post office. When I'm on a trip, I often mail souvenirs and such in a flat-rate Priority Mail box so I can cram even more stuff into my suitcase during the second half of the trip.

A bookstore would be nice. They sell popular paperbacks and magazines in the current shops, but it would be nice to have a dedicated bookstore.


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## Eric308 (Jan 30, 2016)

Portillio's or Gene and Jude's for Chicago dogs! A must have. Also, I'd really like to see another Heaven on Seven (great Cajun). I'd have to do both. Definitely no chain or any other corporate places of ANY type.


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## Philly Amtrak Fan (Jan 30, 2016)

Giordano's Stuffed Pizza. My favorite Chicago pizza.

https://giordanos.com/


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## blondninja (Jan 30, 2016)

The metro deli was great! I always stopped there when at the station.

It's probably too close to the Palmer house, but I wouldn't mind another small branch of Merz Apothecary.


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## SarahZ (Jan 30, 2016)

A wine shop that also sells beer and liquor, perhaps with a deli counter, fancy cheeses, crackers, and other things that make a roomette a home.

Perhaps they could combine it with the bookstore.


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## Radvlad (Jan 30, 2016)

Sarah that's the best idea yet!


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## Manny T (Jan 31, 2016)

Hmm, let me think a minute. A liquor store? Yes that seems about right.


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## PaulM (Jan 31, 2016)

Another vote for Metro Deli


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 31, 2016)

The Big 3 sound just right!Mom and Pop Bookstore, Metro Deli with Bar and the Liquor and Wine Store!

Please no more National Chains with crappy food @ High Prices, we get that aboard Amtrak now!


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## Manny T (Jan 31, 2016)

Sorry I doubt the mom and pops will be returning. If you want a preview of what the retail at CUS will look like, check out the shops at Union Station in D.C. which must be the model. http://www.unionstationdc.com/mimages/UnionStationDirectoryMap.pdf

Fast food, casual dining, mall type retailers are the trend. No local color at all.

There used to be a liquor store at Union Station (DC). Recently I've noticed it's gone. I've read it's been moved to the lower level near the rest rooms. Can anyone confirm this?

Here's a good article from the Washington Post that has a title that sort of says it all: Union Station Retail Operators Focus on What Works Best: Food

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/union-station-retail-operators-focus-on-what-works-best-food/2012/04/06/gIQAvOhd4S_story.html


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## MARC Rider (Jan 31, 2016)

Manny T said:


> Sorry I doubt the mom and pops will be returning. If you want a preview of what the retail at CUS will look like, check out the shops at Union Station in D.C. which must be the model. http://www.unionstationdc.com/mimages/UnionStationDirectoryMap.pdf
> 
> Fast food, casual dining, mall type retailers are the trend. No local color at all.
> 
> ...



Yes,the liquor store is downstairs. I wish their selection of half-bottles of wine was better and more competitive in pricing with the Amtrak cafe car. There are also a lot of posters saying the a Walgreen's has opened, but it must be somewhere downstairs where I don't see it. A Walgreens-type store is a big plus to have. If I'm not mistaken, there's also a place that does shoe repairs and makes keys. That and a dry cleaners would be very handy for commuters.


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## Manny T (Jan 31, 2016)

Thanx MARC. I've looked for the liquor store on recent trips thru D.C. but never thought to look downstairs in the fast food court--I just thought it was gone. Which was the owner's complaint about being moved to a "less desirable" location.


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## oldtimer (Feb 1, 2016)

Chicago Union Station in its pre-1980's form had a shoe repair, a dry cleaners shop, a barber shop, and a package goods store with a selection of cheese and crackers. It also sold single cans of beer and half bottles of wine. The businesses seemed to do quite well and i personally patronized all of them.

as a side note in the winter of 1979 I worked 27 days straight on the road and in the middle of that stretch I had inspected my outbound assignment and haqd over an hour to kill so i went to the barber shop to have my hair cut and in walked my supervisor's boss a manager on the Amtrak chain of command. He said to me "Getting your hair cut on company time" to which I replied "It grows on company time" He investigated and found out that I had spent 27 days away from home had one day off and then went 19 days away from home. Instead of a Notice of Formal Charges, he wrote a letter to the General Superintendent commending my dedication.


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## Ryan (Feb 1, 2016)

The Walgreens is downstairs at the far and of the food court.


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## afigg (Feb 1, 2016)

Ryan said:


> The Walgreens is downstairs at the far and of the food court.


I was not aware that the Walgreens at WAS had opened. But then I have not been in the station recently.

As for the type of retail stores, I expect DC Union Station mix of fast food, so-called fast casual, restaurants, clothing and boutique stores, almost all retail chain stores (which may include local small chains) and few, if any independent mom & pop stores, is the model for retail plans for other big train stations. It is all about charging higher rents and maximizing sales revenue, which means chain outlets as they can bring deeper corporate pockets to the store outlet.

NYP is undergoing a revamping of its retail stores to more chain stores and going somewhat more "upscale". The RFP that was released last week for Moynihan station has a lot of retail in the outline floor plans for the expanded station; its all about revenue.


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## Palmetto (Feb 1, 2016)

How about Redamak's? They have places in downtown [i think] and New Buffalo MI and you can't get near the New Buffalo place in the summer. Famous for their burgers.

Edit: nope, not in Chi-town, just New Buffalo.


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## neroden (Feb 2, 2016)

DC Union has very few worthwhile shops in the entire building.

I hope Chicago shoppers are *more discerning* than DC shoppers. Metro Deli was a good tenant.


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## cirdan (Feb 2, 2016)

I'd love to see a railfan shop with Amtrak souvenir items plus a selection of railroad magazines, books, DVDs, souvenirs etc. Maybe even some models and things.

But I know I'm dreaming so won't go on about it.


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## cirdan (Feb 2, 2016)

neroden said:


> DC Union has very few worthwhile shops in the entire building.
> 
> I hope Chicago shoppers are *more discerning* than DC shoppers. Metro Deli was a good tenant.



However, in DC there appear to be quite a few regular shops very close to the station. There doesn't appear to be very much that caters to rail passengers in the immediate vicinity of CUS. It's all corporate office blocks as far as I can recall.


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## TylerP42 (Feb 2, 2016)

cirdan said:


> I'd love to see a railfan shop with Amtrak souvenir items plus a selection of railroad magazines, books, DVDs, souvenirs etc. Maybe even some models and things.
> 
> But I know I'm dreaming so won't go on about it.


There's already an Amtrak shop with souvenirs and other stuff there. Even Model trains.


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## glomor (Apr 3, 2016)

TylerP42 said:


> cirdan said:
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> > I'd love to see a railfan shop with Amtrak souvenir items plus a selection of railroad magazines, books, DVDs, souvenirs etc. Maybe even some models and things.
> ...


 In Chicago? Where?


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## glomor (Apr 3, 2016)

SarahZ said:


> TylerP42 said:
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> > What do you think would be good retail/restaurants in the Great Hall?
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LOVED Metro Deli! Broke my heart when it disappeared!


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 3, 2016)

glomor said:


> TylerP42 said:
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Last I heard, it's across from the ticket windows. I'm sure someone will clarify this if I'm wrong.


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## TylerP42 (Apr 3, 2016)

AmtrakBlue said:


> glomor said:
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It's been closed since I posted that. For multiple reasons.


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 3, 2016)

TylerP42 said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
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And it's been reopened as I have heard right here on AU.


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## TylerP42 (Apr 3, 2016)

AmtrakBlue said:


> TylerP42 said:
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That's odd...


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## SarahZ (Apr 3, 2016)

The gift shop was open when I was in Chicago two weeks ago.


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