West Loop’s BellyQ restaurant closes, will be sold for redevelopment

After a six-year stint on the West Loop’s Restaurant Row, Korean-inspired eatery BellyQ has closed and is being marketed by its owners as future redevelopment opportunity.

Future plans for the parcel at 1400 W. Randolph Street have yet to be revealed and will largely depend on the eventual buyer. The West Loop area has established itself as a hotspot for apartment, office, and hotel development. Elevating the BellyQ location to a more dense use, however, will likely require a zoning change from the city.

“As difficult as it is to say goodbye, now is the opportune time to transition the building given the current real estate climate in the West Loop,” said Cornerstone Restaurant Group, president Josh Zadikoff in a news release.

Cornerstone is selling the low-rise brick structure after 21 years of ownership. Before BellyQ opened in 2012, the site housed the group’s One Sixtyblue restaurant. The corner building is also home to an Ogden Avenue-facing mural by local street artist Hebru Brantley.

BellyQ served its final customers on Tuesday, October 30 but will host private events through March of next year, the restaurant said on Facebook. Head chef Bill Kim’s neighboring casual noodle spot, Urbanbelly, will shut its doors on New Years Eve, reports Eater Chicago.

As the West Loop undergoes unprecedented development at its eastern edge, more developers are eyeing the neighborhood’s west side. Nearby projects include a 14-story, 263-unit apartment building under construction at Lake and Ada and a 13-story office building recently approved for the southeast corner of Fulton and Ogden.

Plans are also in the works to redevelop the Archer Daniels Midland wheat mill at 1300 W. Carroll Avenue. Its replacement is rumored to include a new Metra rail stop that could open the area to suburban commuters.

• Bill Kim’s BellyQ To Close Today in the West Loop’s Randolph Row [Eater Chicago]
• Previous West Loop coverage [Curbed Chicago]