Challenge:

TheWit hotel, a 27-story, 300-room Doubletree by Hilton boutique property in the heart of downtown Chicago, has quickly achieved a reputation in a number of Chicago publications as the savvy traveler’s haven of choice. State and Lake Tavern, the primary dining attraction, emphasizes local and organic ingredients in its breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, while theWit’s destination bar ROOF, labeled by Travel and Leisure as one of the top three rooftop lounges in the world, offers drinks, small plates and options from its wood-burning oven.

TheWit therefore selected SPE Certified to further amplify its health-conscious positioning by providing great tasting, nutritious dishes wherever food is served.

Specific challenges:

• Meet travelers’ growing demand for healthier menu choices
• Attract new clientele among local and younger demographics, and retain existing hotel guests by differentiating their dining offering
• Provide consistency and legitimacy to theWit’s healthy eating initiative

Solution:

SPE Certified analyzed and certified nutritionally sound menu items at State and Lake Tavern while maintaining the restaurant concept’s distinct vision.

In pursuit of higher health standards for the restaurant, we:

• Collaborated with the hotel’s chefs to identify existing menu items that would be good candidates for SPE enhancement and eventual certification  
• Analyzed, tweaked, and certified appetizers, salads, entrées and breakfast options for the Tavern menu
• Provided the foundation for the hotel’s in-house spa to offer SPE-certified dishes in tandem with its new treatment, “theDetox”

Result:

State and Lake Tavern’s current menu boasts six SPE-certified dishes, continually refreshed as seasonal items rotate through the dining room. Our partnership produced staff and patron favorites such as the Roasted Amish Chicken (featuring humanely raised birds) with a mustard-maple glaze and multigrain panzanella. Former executive chef Evan Percoco, initially skeptical but ultimately a convert, called the collaboration a “win-win” for farmers, the hotel, and customers.

Collaboration with SPE and current executive chef Kevin Atkinson continues to yield benefits nutritionally and otherwise, garnering increased media coverage and rave reviews for theWit in local and national publications.

Hotel patrons can look forward to brand-new developments: theWit is currently rolling out SPE-certified shared plates for ROOF and expanding the SPE menu across in-room dining. theWit also plans a dedicated SPE-certified menu for theWit banquets and event catering.