Four Star Mushrooms Opens Doors for First Time During Open House Chicago on Near West Side
By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Near West Side ·
Near West Side residents will have a unique opportunity to explore one of the neighborhood's most innovative businesses as Four Star Mushrooms participates in Open House Chicago for the first time this month. The state-of-the-art indoor mushroom farm, located at 320 N. Oakley Blvd, will welcome visitors on October 18-19 as part of the Chicago Architecture Center's annual festival featuring over 200 sites across the city.
Four Star Mushrooms blends advanced environmental controls with regenerative agricultural practices to produce gourmet mushrooms year-round in its 11,000-square-foot facility. Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look at grow rooms, substrate processing systems, and packaging operations, all housed within a repurposed industrial space. The urban farm demonstrates how high-tech, hyper-local food systems can thrive in urban settings while serving Michelin-starred restaurants and local retailers.
"We're trying to revolutionize the cultivation of mushrooms and change our food system," says founder Joe Weber, whose operation focuses on sustainable practices. The facility transforms agricultural byproducts into nutrient-rich mushrooms, and the spent substrate is used to regenerate soil, closing the loop on waste. Neighborhood residents interested in exploring this innovative Near West Side business can visit openhousechicago.org for details about this and other participating sites.
Sources:
1. https://shepherdexpress.com/news/features/chicago-architecture-centers-open-house-festival-opens-200-locations-to-the-public/
2. https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/14/open-house-chicago-returns-this-weekend-here-are-5-new-sites-to-check-out/
3. https://ohc.architecture.org/sites/recP0JyCKLLte23QQ