Wake ‘N Bacon does not plan on being the cookie cutter brunch spot in Chicago.

Bacon will be part of the formula, but the menu will specialize in food that is infused with Cannabidiol (CBD).

The husband and wife team of Sarah and Gabriel Ayala hope their new restaurant concept will enhance customer experience and open them to trying new types of food.

MEAT+POULTRY reached out to co-owner Gabriel Ayala and asked a variety of questions about how the food is affected by CBD and what to expect with this restaurant in the Windy City. The restaurant is expected to be open later in the summer 2019.

MEAT+POULTRY: Why did you feel like this was an important niche to fill in the Chicago area?

Gabriel Ayala: Chicago is such a great restaurant city — there are so many great chefs and restauranteurs who are always on the cutting edge of something new in the industry. Cannabis and all things related to it, like CBD, are going to be the future of the culinary scene and we want to help develop the scene and show how CBD can be a great part of the overall dining experience.

M+P: How will you infuse CBD into the bacon?

Ayala: At Wake 'N Bacon, we'll be curing and making our bacon in-house, which we're really excited about. Homemade bacon is just so much better than store bought. We’ll have a variety of flavored bacon which we’ll be infusing with CBD in two different ways. First, during the curing process itself, we’ll use a CBD isolate and second, we’ll be simply cooking the bacon in a CBD oil.

M+P: What other products will you be featuring at the restaurant?

Ayala: You can look for a fusion of Asian, Latin, and American flavors at Wake 'N Bacon. Our food and drinks will be a reflection of our family and the influences we've had from our travels around the world. As a brunch destination, we'll have a nice balance of sweet and savory as either full-blown plates to sit down and enjoy or as quick grab-and-go items to enjoy on the run.

M+P: Will you stick to CBD or will the 2020 legalization of recreational marijuana help expand the menu from the beginning?

Ayala: The plan for now is to just stick with CBD. While the law does make recreational use legal, it unfortunately doesn't give free rein for a restaurant like Wake 'N Bacon to start serving the public cannabis infused food. We're excited to see what the future holds though, and believe me, we'll be there for every step towards that future.