Nutella is delicious. Everybody knows this. But why buy a single, measly jar in the store when you could travel to a real, live Nutella cafe where everything they serve is infused with the delicious chocolatey hazelnut spread? The world’s first official Nutella cafe is opening in downtown Chicago this summer, and we can’t wait to go.
The makers of Nutella have already found success with the Nutella Bar in Mario Batali’s Eataly, a massive Italian food emporium with several locations, so it makes sense that they would want to expand to a stand-alone brick-and-mortar shop. The Nutella Cafe is set to open on May 31 and is located directly across from Chicago’s famous Millennium Park. There will be giveaways at the Millennium Park Plaza and, obviously, tons of chocolate hazelnut goodies.
The restaurant itself is designed in warm, creamy colors with plenty of Nutella accents.
“It’s designed to make you feel like you’re actually walking into a jar of Nutella,” Angela Baird, the director of operations at Brand Innovation Group, who consulted with Nutella’s parent company on designing the restaurant, told the Chicago Tribune. “Everything screams ‘Nutella.'”
And there won’t be just sweets available for purchase at the Nutella cafe. Sandwiches and salads will also be on the menu so people won’t get cavities as soon as they walk in the door. You’ll be able to get savory treats like the Italian ham speck and Gruyere panini, buckwheat crepes with bacon, greens and an egg and a fresh soup of the day. Here’s a sneak peek at the menu.
The sweet side of the menu is obviously the most exciting part, and it will feature a variety of gelato flavors in addition to muffins, Nutella-stuffed croissants (can you say #foodporn?), waffles, and even steel-cut oats topped with Nutella for a semi-healthy breakfast.
“The food culture here is amazing…Chicago is different than other major cities,” Noah Szporn, the vice president of marketing for Ferrero, told the Chicago Tribune. “We wanted to be a part of that, with our food bringing people together.”