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Related Announces Opening of Kanela Breakfast Club at 500 Lake Shore Drive

CHICAGO (July 13, 2015) – Related Midwest today announced that Kanela Breakfast Club, a contemporary breakfast-and-lunch concept, has opened at 500 Lake Shore Drive, the developer’s ultra-luxury apartment tower in Streeterville. The restaurant, Kanela's fourth location in Chicago, welcomed its first customers Monday morning.

The 2,500-square-foot eatery, owned by BNY Mellon Wealth Management Senior Director Alexi Giannoulias and restaurateur Chris Lardakis, features a sweet and savory menu created by Executive Chef Don Penza, with seasonal brunch favorites and Greek specialties made in-house with locally sourced and organic ingredients. Guests can also enjoy fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, as well as specialty cocktails, including Kanela’s signature bloody marys and mimosas, from the restaurant’s full bar.

“Kanela Breakfast Club is the perfect addition to 500 Lake Shore Drive, complementing the building’s existing suite of lifestyle amenities,” said Curt Bailey, president of Related Midwest. “Our company is invested in the long-term success and vitality of the Streeterville neighborhood, and we felt it was important to partner with a business that would benefit not only our residents, but the entire Streeterville community.” Related is developing two other projects in the immediate area – the 67-story, Robert A.M. Stern-designed residential tower and public park at 451 E. Grand Ave., and the high-profile development site at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive, the former site of the Chicago Spire.

Established in 2010, Kanela currently has locations in Lakeview, Old Town and Wicker Park. The Streeterville restaurant resembles the look and feel of the other Kanela locations, with deep earth tones and dark wood accents that are a direct tie-in to the restaurant’s sustainable menu. The space, which is accented by vintage chandeliers, brown leather banquettes and red oak tables, offers seating for approximately 90 guests, with an outdoor patio capable of accommodating an additional 40 people.

Exclusive to the Streeterville location are freshly prepared baked goods from Bang Bang Pie Shop, located in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.

“We look forward to building on the success of our three existing restaurants and bringing Kanela Breakfast Club to the vibrant Streeterville neighborhood, which has benefitted from a flurry of new residential and commercial development,” said Kanela co-owner Chris Lardakis. “Our Greek-inspired menu of American breakfast favorites reflects our rich cultural heritage and adds to the neighborhood’s diverse culinary offerings. We are excited for Streeterville residents to learn what much of Chicago already has: that Kanela has some of the best breakfast/brunch offerings in the city.”

The new location at 500 Lake Shore Drive will open at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends, and offers a number of to-go items, including coffee, donuts and other breakfast fare. As with the other Kanela locations, free WiFi is available to all guests, making it easy for them to check email, surf the internet or work remotely while enjoying the restaurant’s extensive food and beverage offerings.

About Related Midwest: Related Midwest, the Chicago office of Related Companies, is the preeminent developer of luxury condominium and rental homes, affordable housing communities and mixed-use properties in Chicago. Recognized for its innovative, market-defining developments, Related Midwest has reshaped luxury living in downtown Chicago through its two high-end apartment projects: 500 Lake Shore Drive and OneEleven. The firm is currently preparing to break ground on a new residential project in Streeterville, a 67-story hybrid condo/apartment tower and public park at 451 E. Grand Ave. When complete, the residential tower will be the first Robert A.M. Stern-designed building in Chicago, while the park will be designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., the landscape architect whose notable projects include Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City and the recently opened Maggie Daley Park and 606 trail in Chicago. Also in Streeterville, Related Midwest is planning a high-profile development at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive, the site of the former Chicago Spire project. The developer’s other successes in the downtown Chicago area include The Residences on Lake Shore Park (comprising 840 Lake Shore Drive, The Pearson, and The Belvedere), the Park Hyatt Hotel and Park Tower Condominiums at 800 N. Michigan Ave., and 340 on the Park at 340 E. Randolph St., the first LEED Silver residential tower in the Midwest.