Is there any other restaurant that reinvents itself every few months? Next in Chicago does exactly that. It is a dining experience that defies expectations. Next explores the world of cuisine. The entire menu transforms. The dining experience changes several times a year. Each season focuses on a new culinary region. Themes can vary from a moment in time.
Next is located in Chicago’s historic Fulton Market. Find it just north of the West Loop’s Restaurant Row. This innovative restaurant was established in 2011. Grant Achatz owns Next with Nick Kokonas. Achatz also serves as head chef.
But Next is more than just a restaurant. It’s a culinary adventure. It began selling pre-priced tickets for specific dates and times. This is similar to theater or sporting events.
Next also houses two on-site bars. The Aviary is one. Micah Melton now heads it. The Office is the other one. This invite-only speakeasy seats only 14 guests. Find it behind an unmarked metal door. The Office is in the basement.
Forget a fixed menu. Next changes its style frequently. Each “season” brings a new theme. Themes can be time periods or parts of the world. Abstract themes are also used. Executive Chef Ed Tinoco and Grant Achatz lead menu development. They start weeks before the new menu debuts.
Past themes have included “Paris 1906”. Other themes were “Thailand” and “Childhood”. “El Bulli” and “Sicily” were also themes. More recently, “Tuscany” and “Julia Child” have featured. From September to December 2024, Next will honor Charlie Trotter.
Next’s ticketing system is unique. Initially, tickets were sold online in batches. Announcements were made on Facebook and Twitter. Tickets sold out quickly. Tickets are transferable but not refundable. This led to a secondary market. Scalpers sold tickets for high prices.
In 2012, Next changed to a season ticket model. Patrons had to buy tickets for each seasonal menu. This reduced the secondary market. Season ticket holders received extra benefits. This included access to The Office.
Next also releases “Same-Day” tickets via Facebook. They guarantee at least one table daily.
Next, Alinea, and The Aviary tested Nick Kokonas’s ticketing system. Kokonas’s system allows dynamic pricing. His company, Tock, now offers this to restaurants globally.
Next has earned many awards. These include a Michelin Star from 2020 to 2024. Zagat named it one of the 50 Best Restaurants in Chicago in 2017. It won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2012. It was named Best New Restaurant.
Next is about exploration. It’s vibrant and ever-changing. The experience is unpredictable. Whether it is the “Paris 1906” or “Charlie Trotter” menu, the experience is one to remember.