Modern Brasserie The Smith Floats Chicago as Next Possible Stop

Penn Quarter newcomer The Smith is already itching to grow again, hoping to export the N.Y.-based American brasserie to Chicago before the end of the year.

A company representative manning The Smith’s table at an Edible DC event on May 22 told Eater that the decade-old restaurant group is currently attempting to fast-track an expansion into the Windy City. Managing partner Jeff Lefcourt said on Tuesday that a “few” cities are on the expansion radar, including Chicago, but declined to comment further.

It’s unclear what neighborhood(s) The Smith has its eye on in Chi-town, but the brand does tend to gravitate towards population-dense and bustling areas; in its native New York the restaurants are scattered about Midtown, NoMad, the East Village, and Lincoln Square. The 9,000-square-foot restaurant it placed at 901 F Street NW — its first stop outside the Big Apple — debuted in January.

The city-hopping company recently locked down a second D.C. outpost at 13th and U Streets NW, which will be first up in the chain to open next.