When Jeremy Jones opened Uncooked in the West Loop with his mom and wife in the middle of the pandemic, they really weren’t sure if they would make it. Located on Carpenter Street, a block from the now-empty Google headquarters in the West Loop, where foot traffic has been decimated by the pandemic, the future of their grab-and-go, plant-based restaurant was precarious.
Now five months after their July opening, Jones and his family have been pleasantly surprised by the support of the West Loop neighborhood. They just signed a lease for a second location in Bucktown, across the street from a Lululemon that’s scheduled to open at 1616 North Damen in December or January 2021. And over time, Jones hopes to expand to more locations in Chicago, including food deserts that haven’t always had access to affordable, fresh and healthy food.
During our interview on Nov. 11, Jones personally greeted each customer by name as they came through his West Loop doors. “It’s a blessing for us that our concept was amenable to whatever this new normal looks like,” he said. “We want to make vegan food more accessible and package it in a way that’s both beautiful and inclusive.”
Currently, Uncooked offers a four-mile delivery radius with delivery available through their app, where photos of all dishes and nutritional facts are available. About a third of orders right now are placed through the app, with customers opting for delivery or in-store pick-up. Uncooked is also available on all of the major third-party delivery platforms, including DoorDash and Caviar, although it’s best for the restaurant if you order directly from them.