New Westfield Old Orchard eatery, market hires for opening

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Tatiana Lotson (left) and China Irving of Evanston fill out applications. last week for jobs at Westfield Old Orchard's soon-to-open green restaurant and store. The job fair was held at the nearby Doubletree Hotel. | Tamara Bell~Sun Times Media

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Updated: October 31, 2011 10:51AM

The opening of a new restaurant and natural foods market in the former location of Westfield Old Orchard’s food court is just around the corner, which is good news for those seeking jobs in such a tough economy.

The Wilde & Greene Restaurant + Natural Market, in fact, held a three-day job fair last week as it searched for hundreds of people to fill positions such as cooks, hosts, servers, clerks, team leaders, cashiers, kitchen and department managers, bartenders and more.

Village inspectors were scheduled to look over the site last week, and one component of the new establishment — the rooftop patio — could open as early as this weekend.

In fact, officials say that the patio, restaurant and grocery market will likely all be open by the end of the month even if an official grand opening for Wilde & Greene is not expected until September.

“We’re super excited because we really view this as a total lifestyle experience,” said Shannon Ridgeway of Old Orchard. “We’ll be providing what customers have asked for. It’s an exciting concept for Old Orchard.”

Approximately the same size as the old food court, which was always defined by the red apple on the southeast end of the mall, the new facility will have a much more aesthetically upscale look.

But it will still be attractive for family dining and food shopping, officials have promised. The project is the first of its kind in the United States for Canada-based Richtree Market Restaurants Inc. In Canada, the company has built several international dining venues and “green” food markets but never combined like the one slated for Skokie.

“With its multiculturalism and well-known passion for food, Chicago is the perfect city to host our first U.S. location,” said Kevin McCormack, Director of Richtree’s Large Format Restaurants Concept when the project was first announced. “The decision to choose Old Orchard was based on the mall’s positioning as a flagship shopping center in the Midwest, and part of a world leading property development group.”

Old Orchard senior general manager Deb Mattes has described the project as “a visionary concept.”

“We’ve taken a good look at the expectations of our customers and we believe what we’re doing will exceed them.”

The new dining and shopping opportunities will be geared mostly toward healthier and gourmet eating experiences. Occupying 22,500 square feet, the facility will include a variety of gourmet food stations and a market offering organic, sustainable and natural artisan specialty foods, seasonal fresh produce and other grocery items.

For about a year, its location near Barnes and Noble has been sealed off by a tall fence so it’s been difficult for customers to gage progress. But officials say that construction has been on schedule and barring any unforeseen complications, Wilde & Greene should open on time.

Cristiane Hioke of Wilde & Greene said that 800 to 900 people showed up at the job fair last week at the Doubletree Hotel, some 400 the last day as the hiring event picked up steam. At least a couple hundred were hired on the spot, she said, but there are still hundreds of other positions left to fill.

People interested in applying for jobs can now come to the facility itself inside the Old Orchard mall, officials said.

Ridgeway said that the new addition to the shopping center is intended to draw people from well beyond Skokie and should become a destination spot itself. Other businesses in the outdoor shopping mall will likely benefit from it as well, she said.

“Our new approach to dining and food shopping reflects the continued growth and vitality of Westfield Old Orchard,” said Mattes. “In spite of the ongoing recession, Old Orchard has continued to grow, adding several new and exciting retailers and offering a wider, more dynamic shopping experience. This is another step in our vision to ensure that Westfield Old Orchard continues to set the standard and to exceed the expectations of our customers, while drawing people from all parts of the Chicagoland area and beyond.”