Big Star owner to open similar restaurant in new Wrigleyville hotel complex

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts says the restaurant group that operates Big Star has big plans for the hotel going up across from Wrigley Field.

The Ricketts family is building Hotel Zachary. One Off Hospitality announced Thursday it plans to open a large restaurant there.

It's going to be a version of Big Star, the popular Mexican street-food restaurant in Wicker Park.

"They're great partners, they're great guys, we lucky to have so many great chefs driven," Ricketts said.

Ricketts says other than naming the other restaurants going into the hotel, the family has no new surprises in their plans for the area around Wrigley Field.

The new boutique hotel in the heart of Wrigleyville at Clark and Addison will be built by Hickory Street Capital, a real estate development company owned by the Ricketts family.

The new Hotel Zachary will be a seven-story, 238,000 square-foot mixed-use building that will include retail space for local boutiques and local chef-driven restaurants, Hickory Street Capital said in a press release earlier this month. The group announced it will partner with One Off, which also owns Avec, the Publican and Nico Osteria; 4 Star Restaurant Group, which owns Dunlays, Smoke Daddy and Crosby's Kitchen; Folkart Restaurant Management, which owns Yusho and Billy Sunday; and West Town Bakery.

The hotel will be part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, with 175 rooms. The hotel's design will be largely modern and draw inspiration from Wrigley Field, according to its developers.

"We are proud to bring Hotel Zachary to the Wrigleyville neighborhood as part of our commitment to enhance the Lakeview community," said Tom Ricketts, chairman of Hickory Street Capital. "With this new hotel, we look forward to paying respect to the rich and storied history of Chicago architecture, while creating a unique hotel experience for guests."

The hotel is expected to open in early 2018.