The Blackhawks announced on Mar. 10 the opening of two new public dining venues at their expanded Blackhawks Ice Center, located at 1801 W. Jackson Blvd. The additions are part of a $65 million expansion that also includes two new Olympic-size ice rinks and enhanced community facilities.
The expansion aims to make the center a hub for both hockey fans and local residents, offering more opportunities for skating, dining, and socializing. The facility now serves as the training site for the Blackhawks and visiting National Hockey League teams, as well as the permanent home of the Chicago Steel junior hockey league team.
Raise the Cup Café is situated on the ground floor and operates daily with offerings such as Colombe coffee drinks, smoothies, Publican Quality Bread pastries, and sandwiches. Upstairs, Rocky’s Table & Tap pays tribute to late Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz with a full bar and an upgraded menu of stadium fare. Both venues provide views of the ice rinks.
Jaime Faulkner, president of business operations for the Blackhawks, said: “Connecting to the community was a big part of the expansion. At its core is getting on the ice and skating, but we wanted to build a building that people could come to, connect with one another and have fun.”
Chef Paul Kahan, a James Beard Award winner and partner in One Off Hospitality—which operates several well-known Chicago restaurants—helped develop menus for both venues. Kahan said: “He pretty much said, ‘We want to do stadium food, but we want it to be the best stadium food.’ We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, but we’re just trying to do it better than anyone has in this environment.”
Menu highlights include nachos with black beans and white cheese sauce; soft jumbo pretzels; Caesar salad; tavern-style pizzas; smashburgers made from Illinois’ Kilgus Farmstead meat; gluten-free chicken fingers; sausages made in-house by One Off Hospitality; and frozen treats from Pretty Cool Ice Cream on a kids’ menu designed for young hockey players.
Additional features at the center include free parking, private event spaces with an outdoor patio overlooking Downtown Chicago’s skyline, Centennial Hall displaying memorabilia from 100 years of Blackhawk history, and special flooring that allows events like weddings or corporate parties on an ice rink.
Kahan added: “We’ve created this niche. We’re not feeding the Blackhawks yet, but we hope to.”
The broader impact of these changes is expected to enhance community engagement around hockey while providing new amenities for visitors throughout Chicago.
