Chicago’s Former Rainforest Cafe To Transform Into Cannabis Dispensary

You might remember the lush, animated, and somewhat quirky design from the nostalgic Rainforest Cafe. The restaurant was up and running on Chicago’s North Clark Street for 23 years before it shut down in 2020.

Now, Block Club Chicago reports that the remaining essence of The Rainforest Cafe might transform into a medical and recreational cannabis dispensary.

The space is a whopping 22,000 square feet and would house the Consume brand dispensary, owned by Progressive Treatment Solutions, which also owns various additional dispensaries and cultivation facilities.

The River North Consume storefront is still in development, and reports explain that company officials and executives are expected to hold a meeting on April 27 regarding more plans and details alongside President Michael Riordan.

He hopes the dispensary will be “welcomed by the neighborhood,” especially since it offers unique updates to “tone down” the loud and excessive design of the former Rainforest Cafe.

Riordan’s company first sparked an interest in moving operations into the former Rainforest Cafe in December when it started the process of receiving a special use permit from Chicago’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Riordan and his company also plan to make the dispensary as open to consumer opinions as possible, hoping to fit itself into Chicago’s niche cannabis scene while responding to complaints from surrounding neighbors.

Block Club Chicago highlights that Riordan believes, “It’s much more tasteful and much more soothing than the garish stuff that’s out there now.”

There is no word on when the dispensary might open, but a meeting with the Zoning Board is expected to take place in May.