French Market vendors struggle without commuters amid coronavirus pandemic

CHICAGO - It is Chicago's first and original food hall, but vendors at the French Market say they may not be in business much longer.

Only a handful are still operating, cranking out upscale cuisine at affordable prices. COVID-19 has hit the market especially hard.

“This place would be packed. You’d get thousands of people walking through here every day,” said John Reed of Jokers Cajun Kitchen.

But now, the crowds that used to fill the French Market are gone. The aisles are empty. Only seven of the 30 vendors remain open.

While all restaurants are struggling these days, businesses at the French Market say COVID-19 has delivered a double gut punch.

The French Market’s location in the Ogilvie Transportation Center means commuter traffic has dried up, and all the customers who used to fill the office buildings nearby are now working from home.

“Biggest concern is we’re never going to see that traffic again. There are almost 30 restaurants in here and without the traffic, we are not going to survive. Nor anybody else,” Reed said.

It is a problem at other food halls in downtown Chicago, which frequently serve as incubators for new restaurants.

“There’s no chains, no big names. It’s all mom and pop joints that are really trying to start something. And it’s gonna kill a lot of that business,” Reed said.

The company that runs the French Market has abated the rents for the past two months, but it is unclear if that will continue. The general manager said, “We have not been able to qualify for any of the federal loans... We’re definitely all in this together.”

Vendors say time is running out on the culinary attraction, with possibly only a month left.