CHICAGO (CBS) — Two Chicago-based grocery chains, Dom’s Kitchen & Market and Foxtrot Market, abruptly closed stores Tuesday.
This comes six months after the two chains announced their merger.
“It is with heavy hearts that we have to inform you of the difficult decision we have had to make. After much consideration and evaluation, we regret to announce that Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market will be closed on April 23, 2024. We are pleased to announce that we will be closing our doors as of today,” Dom’s Kitchen & Market wrote in a message on its website. “We have explored many avenues to continue our operations, but despite our good faith and exhaustive efforts, we have not found a viable option.”
In November, two upscale grocery stores, Dom’s, and an upscale convenience store chain, Foxtrot, opened. announced that they will merge under a new company, Outfox Hospitality.
Dom’s and Foxtrot stores closed Tuesday. Deliveries have been suspended, mobile apps have gone dark and store credit cards have been suspended.
All Foxtrot and Dom account credits and member benefits have been disabled starting Tuesday.
This closure affects both Dom’s Chicago locations and all 33 Chicago Foxtrot locations. Austin and Dallas, Texas. and the Washington DC area.
“This decision was not made lightly and we understand that it affects you, our loyal customers, and our dedicated team members. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to you for your support and patronage over the years. We have been able to improve everyday life and create a great shopping experience for people who love food as much as we do. “This is our highest honor and we are honored to serve you and be a part of your daily life,” the companies said in a statement.
Hundreds of people have lost their jobs due to the closure.
Monica Perez worked at Lincoln Park Dom’s, 2730 N. Halsted St. A few years ago, an entire strip mall that housed a combination Dunkin Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, Massage Envy and Performance Bicycles stores was demolished. This is to make way for the new Dom building.
Now, the store that occupied the new building has suddenly gone out of business, and Mr. Perez has lost his job.
“We just got here and it looks like everything is closing down, so everyone here, a lot of people are out of work right now,” Monica Perez said. he said.
Perez and her co-workers shared their memories outside the Dom’s store in Lincoln Park on Tuesday afternoon. The store was crowded with people who regularly purchased expensive items, showing strong prospects for the employees.
Instead, all employees were blindfolded before work.
“I didn’t even get a call from the coach,” Perez said. “I showed up as usual.”
Customers who see the employees every day were shaken by the sudden news.
“It’s like a family here,” Amy Tanner said. “It’s very sad. It’s also really sad for the employees.”
Amy and Matt Tanner’s nightly shopping habits have also changed.
“I’m shocked and really upset,” Amy Tanner said. “You know, we literally just come here every night to decide what we’re going to have for dinner.”
Employees said there was no signal of an impending closure. Each store had its own thing, just a sign on the door.
A sign at the Foxtrot store at 1019 W. Lake St. read, “Today marks our final closing. Thank you for spending time with us.” A hand-painted sign next to it displayed a tombstone that read, “Rest in Peace Foxtrot.”
The Tanners were confused by the sudden closure. Dom’s in Lincoln Park was open for part of the day Tuesday before all stores closed, according to social media posts.
In a TikTok video Tuesday afternoon, two young women who appeared to work at the East Lakeview Foxtrot reported finding out they were losing their jobs while customers were still in the store. All customers were asked to leave and the store closed immediately, with a handwritten sign reading “Permanently Closed.”
“We’ll see if this is a reorganization or just a financial issue, we’ll see what happens, but it’s a little strange that they would kick everyone out and shut it down,” Matt Tanner said. “It’s kind of weird.”
Meanwhile, Perez and other unemployed workers were wondering what next, as their paychecks were about to end.
“I don’t have a job right now,” Perez said. “Now, I have to go back and look for a job.”
Dom’s launched in Chicago’s Lincoln Park in June 2021 as a new concept from Bob Mariano, founder of the Chicago grocery store chain Mariano’s. The second store he opened in Old Town in November 2022.
Dom’s, billed as a “new, next-generation local food emporium,” was a small-format grocery store focused on specialty items, prepared foods, and locally sourced products. The store also featured wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, a coffee shop, and wine and beer sales for customers to drink while shopping.
Some employees are beginning to question whether the company properly notified them. Under Illinois law, employers must notify the state when they plan to lay off workers as part of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.
