As the Cubs head into the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the team is seeing an almost 12 percent increase in attendance, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. What effect might this have on future ticket prices, especially if the Cubs make the World Series as foretold by “Back to the Future II”?
We’ll talk with Crain’s Chicago Business deputy managing editor Ann Dwyer about rising attendance for the Cubs as well as the potential move of big-time food producer ConAgra, which is probably better known for Chef Boyardee and Slim Jims. According to Crain’s, the Omaha-based company is looking to snap into a Slim Jim—er, we mean Chicago—and is eyeing office space at the Merchandise Mart. Dwyer will tell us how big of a catch this is for Chicago, how many jobs the company could move into the area, and what tax incentives the state offered.
Speaking of food, Mariano’s Fresh Market grocery stores are becoming a main dish for commercial real estate investors. Crain’s reports that investors have doled out more than $300 million on Mariano’s stores or shopping centers featuring the grocer since the start of 2014. What’s fueling this appetite and what does it mean for the grocery chain’s expansion in Chicago?
Dwyer will serve up some answers to these questions and more with Eddie Arruza.