Guinness picks Chicago as location for second US brewery

Will Guinness be good for Chicago?

The Irish beer company aims to open a taproom at Fulton Market in the city’s West Loop, targeting an opening by St. Patrick’s Day of 2023, the Chicago Sun Times reported. It would be the second US location after one just outside Baltimore that opened in 2018.

“The history of Chicago, in general, fits our values, beyond just the Irish history,” Jay Sethi, chief marketing officer of Diageo Beer Co., a branch of Guinness’ parent, told the newspaper.

The company signed a multi-year lease for the 15,000-square-foot space, a former railroad terminal at 375 N. Morgan Street owned by developer Fred Latsko.

The taproom will serve a rotating food menu to honor the city’s 200 neighborhoods and  serve some beers that are available only locally, Sethi said. Guinness will import its famous stout from Dublin as well. It will also offer tours and performances by local artists.

The new Chicago taproom will also launch with a bakery — an idea born from the Maryland brewery using its facility to make bread in an effort to combat food shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to selling bread at the pub, Guinness also plans to donate bread to local organizations in need.

“Overall, it’s diverse. It represents so many different communities that we want to reach,” Sethi said.

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[Chicago Sun Times] — Victoria Pruitt