Posted by Elizabeth Fama
The merely-sufficient Christopher-Eccleston Doctor regenerates into the irresistible David-Tennant Doctor, much to everyone's delight.It's true. The owners of the Zaleski and Horvath Market Cafe have signed a lease today to take over the space currently occupied by University Market. Hans Morsbach will close the current market during the University's winter break, and move his deli operation to the Medici Bakery.
Tim Schau and Sam Darrigrand, the principal shopkeeps at Z&H, along with their respective partners (marital and business) plan to remodel the space and open the new store -- also called Z&H -- before the end of the school year.
One planned change is a rolling glass shutter where the current storefront window is, so that customers can approach an espresso bar from both the inside and the outside of the store. There will be indoor seating. After some study, Tim Schau said, the current layout of U.M. doesn't appear to maximize the shelf space given the floor space, and a careful re-consideration of dry goods, refrigerated goods, and deli space will allow for better flow plus some tables and chairs. Schau and Darrigrand will work with Hyde Park Produce to improve the fruits and vegetables section.
The market will offer the eclectic and adventurous sandwiches, soups, and salads that devotees have come to love at Z&H, along with a diverse cheese selection, homemade ice cream, imported Italian goods, and more -- all within an easy walk to and from campus.
Don't forget to follow the Z&H blog, where news of the remodeling efforts (and the usual City of Chicago birthing pains for small businesses), will be updated by the horse's mouth.
33 comments:
Terrific news! Bad for Hans since he'll have far superior competition, but this will be fantastic for the 57th St area. Hopefully Z&H can have expanded hours in this location as well. One of the great things about 57th is that there is traffic into the evenings.
Hallelujah!
This news just made my morning!
TA, I agree -- a late-night service of some sort would be great for students. Z&H could get creative (which is what they're good at, come to think of it), and tailor the late-night food and activity to students. Open mic, acoustical music, hot chocolate, student lectures, book talks... They could get their good friend Doyle Armbrust to organize the musical events -- small, local performers. (Hmm, maybe not enough room in just a small storefront.)
Great news! Although it's obviously part of an evil plan by the University to run Hans out of business.
This is super news. My hope yesterday upon seeing the cryptic reference to exciting news on the Z&H blog was not unfounded.
Now that Z&H has a foot in the door at the University, maybe they can take over food service at the pub in Ida Noyes too, which I remember them speculating about in a comment on this blog at one point. Imagine a Z&H quality sandwich with a draft belgian ale. Mmm.
Hey, can I call em or what? Anyone want to buy my lotto number picks? They're a steal at $5 apiece. :-)
I'd love to see a Backstory Cafe kinda thing with some strummy, acoustic live music along with my Godfather and Clover Yirgacheffe. And late night hours would be a lovely idea.
I think some good healthy competition will be good for Morsbach. Or maybe just everyone else.
Patrick has a good memory. We did hear Zig and Lou ask pointed questions about the Pub in the comment section of a HPP post.
Are they leaving their 47th St location then?
Jennifer- no, 57th street will be a new, second location. It's now a chain!
No, Jennifer. Z&H will be in both locations, 47th and 57th Street, but maybe like Superman and Clark Kent, we'll never see Tim and Sam behind the same deli counter together once the second location opens.
Did you all know that the original location currently employs 17 people?
And for crying out loud, isn't anyone here a Doctor Who fan? I completely misjudged my audience.
"...a late-night service of some sort would be great for students."
If late night works, how about trying a 24-hour place? U of C students cited the lack of an all-night diner or cafe as a Hyde Park deficiency in terms of neighborhood amenities. The new Z&H location is practically on-campus and there are no neighbors across the street to complain about it.
This is fantastic!
Never again will a coffee lover be forced to imbibe Med Bakeries awful espresso or their latte's with 300 degree milk.
Also, this will have to force Istria to step up their game.
[retrogrouch] Back in my day, we had Stay Up 4-Ever, which was open until 3am. And we walked there from Woodward Court, uphill both ways, in the snow... [/retrogrouch]
I'd like them to call this one H&Z.
And for crying out loud, isn't anyone here a Doctor Who fan? I completely misjudged my audience.
Only if it's a Tom Baker or William Hartnell episode. :-)
Planning on watching The Waters of Mars tonight with my eleven year old daughter, so there are two Tennant fans here.
Love Z&H moving in, but I hope they keep a good stock of candy for the after-school rush of kids (& parents). My daughter (& wife) are much happier with an occasional Now & Later fix.
Maybe bagels daily soon? (& hopefully earlier hours for those of us who really need a bagel at 7am.)
Okay, now I'm staying in Hyde Park! (not that I haven't for the last 30 years, but now I mean it).
wait, did i just say thirty years? 1979 was thirty years ago? that is too weird.
ScottM - we streamed The Waters of Mars from laptop to TV on Sunday night; BBC can try, but they can't stop us. Woot!
Back on topic: it will be interesting to see how Z&H handles the morning and afternoon rush of kids from Ray School, who buy mostly candy and chips.
I am delighted by the irony that Morsbach is keeping his sandwiches at the Med take-out, only to have Z&H move in and offer great sandwiches.
BTW, I totally got and appreciated the Doctor Who reference, but I think it's a disservice to the talented Eccleston to cast him as the Morsbach mediocrity in your simile.
rdb, comments like yours about Morsbach's sandwiches are a perfect illustration of why this blog has progressively isolated itself from Hyde Parkers who might otherwise share its stated goals. :}
Great news! The 47th St. store is a bit off my usual path, so I've only been there a couple of times, but liked what I saw. I'll definitely patronise the 57th St. location.
Its going to be fun to see the Ray School kids line up for $5 italian candy bars and choclate ice cream with crushed fava beans and cranberrys.
I never much liked anything about U-Mart except their veggie sandwiches. Since the deli is saved, and another food option added, what's not to love. Awesome.
Congratulations to Z&H on behalf of everyone at Open Produce!
Its going to be fun to see the Ray School kids line up for $5 italian candy bars and choclate ice cream with crushed fava beans and cranberrys.
I wish they'd get some soft torrone like I suggested a couple years ago. :-/
I hope Z&H's good real estate karma... bodes well for those of us who are also looking for bigger and nicer commercial spaces. Free service for a year to anyone who helps me land something better :)
Did the U offer them a better deal than it was offering to UM?
Susan, it would be up to Zig and Lou to reveal that information and I assume they'd rather not. Kirsten Esterley, the manager at UM, mentioned in an interview with the U-High Midway that the new rent came to $30 per square foot. I thought J/Tati ran down numbers that were higher than that (in the comment section of a post I can't find now) when he was on the hunt for a new place. Parker's Pets weighed in on that post, too.
I'd be interested in some feedback from local entrepreneurs about whether $30/sq. foot seems appropriate for the location at 57th Street.
There are spaces on 53rd higher than $30. I for one would leap at the opportunity for a space on 57th at that rate -- and my business has a far lower profit margin than the market. But if the $30 is only net and there are tax & CAM on top... different story. I saw a placed recently where the tax doubled the effective rent.
Kirsten Esterley, the manager at UM, said in the article for the U-High Midway that she "did the calculations and it came to about 30 dollars per square foot." On the other hand, the Maroon said they had been given these numbers (passive voice, so I don't know if it comes from Mr. Morsbach, Ms. Esterley, or the University): the space is approximately 20x65, and the new rent would have been $52,000 per year, which comes to $40 per square foot.
I'm pretty sure charging one person one rent and another person a cheaper rent would constitute descrimination by the University.
"...would constitute discrimination by the University."
Sorry, Famac, that's not correct. Rent is set by the market at the time a lease is negotiated. One renter may simply be willing to pay more than another. As far as I'm concerned, the rent is nobody's business except for the lessor and lessee.
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