Number of concepts new to the ranking
13
The almost overnight success of the highest-debuting concept on the Top 100, No. 24 Gibsons Italia, surprised even the owners. Gibsons Restaurant Group took a chance opening Gibsons Italia in the fall of 2017. The four-story, 190-seat (plus 105 bar and 92 private dining seats) complex sits in an office/residential tower in a transitional neighborhood on the Chicago River that was historically a light industrial area—not exactly prime territory for a restaurant. But the skyline view is considered among the best in town. The Lombardo family reckoned the site would do well at weekday lunch, happy hour and early dinners. But weekends? Not so much. Surprise: Saturday night reservations are nearly impossible to get. The result was a $20 million-plus first full year—well beyond projections. “Does the food taste a little better because of that view? Maybe,” Lombardo says.
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