Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor JB Pritzker today joined leadership from Home Chef, 84.51°, Roundy’s, and Mariano’s to announce the relocation of Home Chef’s headquarters and 84.51°’s Chicago office to the Old Main Post Office.  These Kroger Co. subsidiaries will lease a combined over 100,000 square feet of office space and bring hundreds of employees to this new location with plans for additional growth in the future.   

“The Old Post Office is helping to create thousands of jobs and generate new economic opportunities for residents in our neighborhoods while restoring and reviving an iconic gateway to our city,” said Mayor Emanuel.  “I am proud to welcome these two fast-growing, innovative companies to their new home at the Old Post Office.” 

“Home Chef and 84.51 growing roots in Chicago at the Old Post Office builds on the revitalization of this landmark and is continued evidence of a city on the rise,” said Governor Pritzker. “The state is proud to help make this a reality through the EDGE program, and we look forward to watching both companies continue to grow, create jobs, and invest right here in Illinois.”

The new Home Chef headquarters will occupy 74,000 square feet and 84.51° will occupy 56,000 square feet at Chicago’s Old Main Post Office at 433 W. Van Buren Street, giving the companies access to Chicago’s top talent across many business segments. In addition to relocating its Chicago office to the Old Post Office, 84.51° plans to grow its team from 86 employees to more than 250 employees in Chicago within the next five years.

“Chicago is the U.S. leader in food and beverage manufacturing GRP and employment, attracting major food companies and innovative start-ups,” said Andrea Zopp, President and CEO of World Business Chicago. “We are thrilled to welcome 84.51° and Home Chef to the Old Post Office and look forward to watching them grow and thrive in Chicago.”

Home Chef is one of the nation’s leading meal kit companies with over 3.5 million meals delivered each month, and one of the many companies in the food sector that calls Chicago home. Chicago’s food manufacturing sector is the largest in the country with more than 1,400 companies, over 60,000 employees and nearly $9 billion in GDP.

From the City’s average of 334 digital start-ups launched per year to expansion announcements from major tech companies like Salesforce and Facebook, tech remains Chicago’s fastest-growing industry sector. 84.51° announcement follows recent tech company expansions or HQ relocations from Google, Tegus, DocuSign, BlueCrew and XSELL, demonstrating the continued growth of Chicago’s robust tech and innovation economy. The innovative data analytics company provides customer insights and strategy for over 300 consumer-packaged-goods companies across the U.S.

“We have an ambitious growth plan for the future of our e-commerce and retail channels that will allow for team growth and the opportunity to offer a broader variety of our delicious meal solutions to customers,” said Home Chef founder and CEO Pat Vihtelic. “We are proud to call the Old Post Office, steeped in Chicago history, our new corporate headquarters later this year.”

“We are eager to forge ahead and increase our presence in downtown Chicago,” said Stuart Aitken, CEO of 84.51° and Kroger’s senior vice president of alternative business. “84.51° thrives on the energy the city of Chicago exudes, and we’re excited to harness some of that energy to grow our operation. The Old Post Office is the perfect balance of consistency and stability blended with new and fresh innovation. I cannot think of a more perfect location for our business to advance and attract talent.” 

Designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and constructed between 1921 and 1932 at the southeast corner of Van Buren and Canal streets, the Old Post Office has been vacant since the Post Office moved operations to a modern facility in 1995.  601W Companies LLC purchased the Post Office building in 2016 and is moving forward with an extensive redevelopment plan that will create thousands of jobs and rehabilitate the longtime vacant structure.  Since redevelopment began, six companies have relocated their headquarters or company operations to this location, including Home Chef, 84.51°, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Ferrara Candy Company, AbelsonTaylor and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.  

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