Chef Mauro Mafrici, the longtime force behind Pelago, is eyeing a return to the Magnificent Mile with a new restaurant project. He and his partner are promoting a 2026 opening inside One Magnificent Mile, in the same building that once housed Chicago icon Spiaggia.
Paperwork Points To One Magnificent Mile
Local filings and neighborhood chatter show the Mafricis have submitted paperwork tied to a restaurant at 980 N. Michigan Ave., Level 2, and registered an Instagram account under the name "Mauro Mafrici One Magnificent Mile." As noted by Crain's Chicago Business, it is still not publicly clear whether they are pursuing the former Spiaggia dining room, the adjoining café space, or both. A separate liquor-license filing and social media trail flagged by What Now Chicago includes an early teaser on the project's feed: "Coming to Chicago 2026."
A Once-Defining Italian Room Sits Empty
The second-floor suite at 980 N. Michigan Ave. served as home to Spiaggia and Café Spiaggia for decades, a longtime anchor for Italian dining on the Mag Mile. Spiaggia closed permanently in 2021 after 37 years amid pandemic-era lease disputes. Time Out reported that the owners said they were unable to renegotiate a lease that reflected post-pandemic realities for running a restaurant in an office building. The shutdown left one of the city's most high-profile dining rooms dark, a vacancy that could instantly shake up the neighborhood's restaurant map once it is claimed.
Pelago's Run and Mafrici's Résumé
Mafrici ran Pelago in Streeterville for roughly 15 years before the restaurant closed at the end of 2022, after landlords declined to renew the lease, according to Eater Chicago. Long before Pelago, Mafrici opened Lo Scalco in New York, which received a Michelin star in its early years, per Wikipedia. That combination, a lengthy Chicago run plus earlier Michelin recognition, explains why a return to the Mag Mile is drawing such close watch.
Plenty We Still Do Not Know
Key details remain under wraps. There is no public menu yet and no confirmed lease on file, and it is still unclear whether the Mafricis will take one of the Mag Mile units or both, according to Crain's Chicago Business. The project's Instagram account and the liquor-license filings point toward a 2026 opening but do not offer a firm date, and local outlets report that the owners have not publicly confirmed operational plans. For now, neighbors and restaurant-watchers are left refreshing permit databases and social feeds, waiting for the next breadcrumb. If the Mafricis do end up in the old Spiaggia room, it would mark a headline-grabbing return to one of Chicago's most visible dining addresses. This story will be updated as the Mafricis or building management confirm a timeline, menu, or other details.
