What are the best businesses to open in Cragin?

The top businesses to open in Cragin include Italian Restaurant with a ~89% chance on average of surviving more than 2 years, best-case locations reaching ~91%, followed by Brunch Restaurant and Bangladeshi Restaurant.

What businesses are most in demand in Cragin?

Based on StreetSpring's 2026 survivability analysis, the most in-demand business types in Cragin are Italian Restaurants, Brunch Restaurants, and Bangladeshi Restaurants.

How much money could a business in Cragin make?

Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, selecting one of the best locations in Cragin could lead to making ~2% more than selecting an average location, and ~3% more than one of the worst locations.

Is Cragin a good place to start a business?

Cragin is ranked number 58 across neighborhoods in and around Chicago to start a business, with an average Survivability Score of ~81%. The top business types in Cragin, when placed at their ideal addresses, achieve survivability rates ~2% above the neighborhood-wide average.

How can you find the best location to open a business in Cragin?

StreetSpring's prediction model analyzes 100 factors across competition, spending on the specific potential business, projected revenue, projected market share, Revenue Capture Score, and mobility patterns to pinpoint which blocks in Cragin maximize success.

Business Survivability in Cragin, Chicago

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Cragin is an Italian Restaurant with a ~89% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average.

April 24, 2026•18 min read

Quick Summary

Best business: an Italian Restaurant in Cragin (~89% average survival rate, ~91% at best locations)

Neighborhood rank: #58 across all neighborhoods in and around Chicago

Neighborhood average: ~81% two-year survival across all business types

Rankings updated quarterly with latest market data

Detailed methodology

Last reviewed: April 28, 2026 by Bobby Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring

In this article:

Summary
Is Cragin a good place to start a business?
How to find the best location
Best businesses to open
How much money could a business make?
What businesses should open next?
Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Cragin is an Italian Restaurant with a ~89% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average, with the best locations offering a ~91% chance; next is a Brunch Restaurant with a ~89% chance, followed by a Bangladeshi Restaurant with a ~89% chance.

Should you open a business in Cragin?

**Peer neighborhoods:** Looking at demographic mix and amenity density across the 24 metros StreetSpring covers, Cragin clusters most tightly with **Edgewater (Chicago)** and **Rock Lake (Orlando)**. Common thread: longer commutes, low destination density, and few anchor tenants. Survival outcomes for those neighborhoods provide a useful comparison set for Cragin.

**Where Cragin businesses actually fail.** Among the 93 tracked subtypes, **Italian Restaurants** post the highest average survivability (89%). But across Cragin's sites, the spread for this subtype runs **68% to 98%** — a 30-point gap that says *the address matters more than the subtype*. For saturation context, Gyms are the most densely-clustered tracked subtype in the neighborhood (3 competitors within 0.5 miles).

Out of all neighborhoods analyzed in and around Chicago, Cragin ranks #58 for business survivability with a ~81% average Survivability Score.

The top business types in Cragin, when placed at their ideal addresses, achieve survivability rates ~2% above the neighborhood-wide average.
That said, the same business types at the worst-fit addresses in Cragin can drop substantially below average. The survivability gap between the best and worst addresses in a single neighborhood can be 20 points or more.
StreetSpring's model incorporates Cragin's 7.0% vacancy rate as a direct input: higher vacancy concentrations suppress foot traffic and reduce survivability for nearby businesses.

Employment and vacancy figures sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.

Pinpointing the best locations within Cragin

The right address in Cragin can mean a 20-point survivability difference from an average one — StreetSpring identifies exactly which addresses are worth pursuing. Of all available storefronts analyzed in Cragin, StreetSpring ranks this area highest for an Italian Restaurant in 2026:

Reading visibility, frontage, and parking carefully

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The highlighted area represents the address in Cragin that StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks highest for an Italian Restaurant survivability. Static rankings can't capture every recent change in competition or foot traffic; StreetSpring's live platform provides the current score for your exact address. StreetSpring's scoring incorporates 100 inputs, including competitive quality and density, projected consumer spending, Revenue Capture Score, and mobility data.

Check if this location is still available →

Top-ranked business types for Cragin

#1-5: Highest Survivability in Cragin

Italian Restaurant is ranked #1 for top businesses to open in Cragin: ~89% chance on average, best at ~91%, challenging at ~88%.
Brunch Restaurant — ~87%–~91% survivability range, with an average of ~89% across Cragin.
Opening a Bangladeshi Restaurant in Cragin shows ~89% average survivability. Top locations reach ~91%; lower-end sites show ~87%.
South American Restaurant (Ranked #4): ~89% average in Cragin. Best-case storefronts: ~91%. Challenging locations: ~87%.
Deli is ranked #5 for top businesses to open in Cragin: ~89% chance on average, best at ~90%, challenging at ~87%.

#6-10: Strong Performers in Cragin

Chinese Restaurant — ~87%–~90% survivability range, with an average of ~89% across Cragin.
Opening a Chicken Shop in Cragin shows ~89% average survivability. Top locations reach ~91%; lower-end sites show ~87%.
Filipino Restaurant (Ranked #8): ~89% average in Cragin. Best-case storefronts: ~90%. Challenging locations: ~87%.
Indonesian Restaurant is ranked #9 for top businesses to open in Cragin: ~89% chance on average, best at ~91%, challenging at ~87%.
Taiwanese Restaurant — ~87%–~91% survivability range, with an average of ~89% across Cragin.

Top 3 Compared Nationally

Brunch Restaurant — See how this compares to other cities →
Bangladeshi Restaurant — See how this compares to other cities →

What revenue can a Cragin business expect?

Best location vs. average location

Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, going with one of the top-scoring locations in the neighborhood rather than an average one in Cragin could lead to you making ~2% more than if you selected an average location, and ~3% more than if you selected one of the worst locations.

How StreetSpring calculates location value

The right address for one business type may be the wrong one for another — always evaluate fit for your specific concept.
Location is the biggest factor in a business's future success.
Across every business type we've analyzed, location quality as measured by Survivability Score is the strongest predictor of financial performance.
StreetSpring can pinpoint which blocks in each neighborhood or city maximize a business's chances of success.

Which business types are most underserved in Cragin?

The top businesses to open next in Cragin:

Italian Restaurants — ~89% average survival rate, up to ~91% at best locations
Brunch Restaurants — ~89% average survival rate
Bangladeshi Restaurants — ~89% average survival rate

Static rankings can't capture every recent change in competition or foot traffic; StreetSpring's live platform provides the current score for your exact address. We have been studying the businesses serving more than 180 million+ Americans. StreetSpring's model accounts for Cragin's 92.7% employment rate when projecting survivability — businesses reliant on discretionary spend benefit disproportionately in well-employed neighborhoods. StreetSpring updates survivability scores for available locations weekly — check the live tool now to see which storefronts in Cragin are currently available and how they score.

See the Survivability Score for your new business

Related Articles:

See the Chicago Business Survivability Rankings
See the Chicago Neighborhood Survivability Rankings

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most common questions about opening a business in Cragin.

What type of business should you rent your Cragin storefront to?

StreetSpring's analysis shows that the top tenant types for maximizing occupancy in Cragin are Italian Restaurants, Brunch Restaurants, and Bangladeshi Restaurants.

Location is the biggest factor in a business's future success.
StreetSpring can pinpoint which blocks in each neighborhood or city maximize a business's chances of success. StreetSpring allows property owners to evaluate any address against 700+ tenant types — so you can prioritize the categories that score highest at your specific location.

Should you rent your Cragin storefront to an Italian Restaurant?

Yes. Among all business types analyzed for Cragin in 2026, an Italian Restaurant posts the highest survivability ceiling at ~91% and maintains a reasonable floor of ~88% — making it the most reliable tenant choice here.

StreetSpring can pinpoint which blocks in each neighborhood or city maximize a business's chances of success.

What should I consider when opening a business in Cragin?

Among all the criteria to weigh when opening a business in Cragin, Survivability Score carries the most predictive weight — choose the address with the highest score your budget allows.

A strong Revenue Capture Score reflects the ideal balance of manageable competition and robust consumer spending at that specific address.
StreetSpring's proprietary algorithms power these predictions.
StreetSpring's address-level survivability data is available free of charge — start with your top candidate locations in Cragin.

See the best place for your business at StreetSpring.

StreetSpring's AI platform has analyzed thousands of business openings to identify success patterns. Aggregated survivability rankings for Chicago are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.

Permits, licensing, and zoning specifics worth flagging

Consideration	Common pitfall	What to verify before signing
Build-out budget	Underestimating mechanical, electrical, and plumbing — the "hidden" 30-50% of build-out cost.	Get 3 quotes from licensed contractors and pad budget by +20% for surprises. Confirm landlord TI allowance in writing.
Parking & visibility	Storefront looks great from the sidewalk but is invisible from the road.	Drive past at 30 mph from both directions. Count street parking + nearest paid lot capacity at peak hours.
Permitted hours	Late-night or early-morning ops blocked by zoning, neighborhood association, or shared-wall restrictions.	Confirm the permitted hours-of-operation are in your lease AND in the local code. Pull recent variances or complaints from the zoning portal.

Full dataset for Chicago: /resources/data/chicago-survivability-scores-2026.csv — includes all business subtypes, all neighborhoods, survivability scores, and tier assignments. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Visual Data

Treemap of Chicago business mix by survivability score — Treemap of business mix in Chicago — cell size = number of locations, color = average survivability score.

Radar chart of business-subtype survivability in Cragin, Chicago — Top business types scored in Cragin, Chicago — each axis is a subtype, taller = stronger survival rate.

Bubble chart of business subtypes in Chicago by survivability score and location density — Every business subtype in Chicago plotted by score vs location count — bubble size shows market depth.

How we measure this: Annual rent / estimated annual revenue = rent burden ratio. Industry rule of thumb: above 12% is uncomfortable, above 18% is fatal.

**Daytime worker density (Cragin):** LEHD LODES Workplace Area Characteristics show a **0.3:1 daytime-to-resident ratio** for Cragin — a primarily-residential signal with some daytime worker pull. Median workplace jobs within a 1-mile radius across Cragin: **7,487**, of which roughly **2,225** are retail-sector. Higher daytime ratios favor weekday-lunch / commuter-traffic businesses; balanced ratios favor residential + weekend demand patterns.

Landmark anchor: Cragin centers on Cragin Park — a public-space anchor that influences walking and dwell-time patterns nearby.

**Economic indicators for Cragin:** Three local signals — neighborhood unemployment **7.3%** (ACS; above the median we track), Chicago-area average weekly wage **$1,198** (BLS QCEW; below our metro median), and **5,308** new residential units permitted in Cook County in 2025 (Census BPS). Use these to ground demand and labor-cost assumptions for your specific business plan.

**Authoritative baseline:** BLS Business Employment Dynamics, March 2025 release publishes 5-year survival rates by industry. For sectors StreetSpring covers, the range runs from **47.8%** (Active Life) to **61.8%** (Health & Medical), with restaurants at **50.0%** and retail at **47.9%**. Location-specific factors drive the actual variance around these baselines.

Related Resources

Related:

Local Data Questions

Beyond the general FAQ — data-anchored answers for this specific location.

What does the employment picture in Cragin look like for new businesses?

Roughly 93% of Cragin's working-age population is employed, against a Chicago metro median of 94%. Employment is close to the metro median, suggesting stable underlying demand.

How does economic hardship in Cragin compare to the metro?

ACS data shows 18% of Cragin residents below the federal poverty line, versus 12% metro-wide. Elevated poverty constrains discretionary retail; survivability is highest for essential services and value-oriented operators.

What share of Cragin residents have a bachelor's degree or higher?

Approximately 19% of Cragin adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 52% across the Chicago metro. Lower education attainment shifts demand toward value retail, services, and everyday needs.

What's the typical commute pattern in Cragin?

Cragin's median commute (~43 min) is above the Chicago metro median (35 min). A longer commute suggests residents work elsewhere — peak demand shifts to evenings and weekends, favoring dinner-oriented dining and weekend retail.

What's the national survival baseline for businesses by sector?

Per BLS Business Employment Dynamics (March 2025), 5-year survival rates by sector range from 47.8% (Active Life — gyms, studios) to 61.8% (Health & Medical), with Restaurants at 50% and Retail at 47.9%. Chicago-specific factors layer on top of these national baselines.