A brand new restaurant called Dawn will be making its debut next year in Hyde Park, located at 1642 E. 56th St.
The new restaurant comes from Racquel Fields, who owns the Caribbean restaurant and rum bar 14 Parish, which is only half a mile away. Dawn will move into the former home of Piccolo Monda, according to Hyde Park Herald. Fields confirmed with What Now Chicago that she hopes to open the new restaurant in June 2023, with preview events occurring the month prior. While the new restaurant will focus on breakfast and brunch, calling itself an “a.m. eatery,” it will also feature an early dinner service.
“I really enjoy the brunch scene; it’s something that’s a passion of mine,” Fields tells the publication. “It’s something that would always bring my family together.”
When Dawn opens next year, customers can expect avocado toast, fried green tomatoes, Southern catfish, and grits in honor of Field’s Southern roots, as well as eggs, potatoes, sausage, and bacon. While 14 Parish will continue to operate as a late-night spot with a brunch option, Field says she “plans to take 14 Parish’s appetite for craft cocktails over to Dawn.” The restaurant joins several Southern-focused breakfast restaurants that have made their debut this year in Chicagoland, including Roux and chef Erick Williams’ Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern.
Fields, who grew up in the South Shore area, will soon begin to renovate the space to include a bar expansion and other cosmetic changes, according to Hyde Park Herald. She tells the publication that she sees Dawn as “an opportunity to create a more robust menu offering for breakfast and brunch for South Siders and the Hyde Park area.” Once the new restaurant opens, Fields will hire more than 50 employees, with some 14 Parish employees being promoted to management.
