Dom’s Kitchen & Market Headed for the ‘Burbs

Chicago grocer announces plans for new store northwest of city

12/19/2023

When it opens in 2025, the Dom's Kitchen & Market in Vernon Hills, Ill., will be the brand's fourth store.

Dom's Kitchen & Market, fresh off an announcement about a merger with upscale convenience operator Foxtrot Market, is pushing its boundaries again. The retailer is bringing its omnichannel food experience to Vernon Hills, Ill., a suburb northwest of Chicago.

Slated to open in 2025, this outpost will be the fourth store under the Dom’s banner. The 25,000-square-foot space will be located at the intersection of IL-20 and IL-60 near the expansive Hawthorn shopping center. Construction will begin sometime in 2024.

For now, plans include a curated grocery section, along with prepared foods areas that have helped define the Dom’s Kitchen & Market brand since it launched in 2021. The store will also feature an in-house coffee and wine bar.

News of the first suburban store was welcomed by leaders of the Hawthorn retail and residential operation. “Adding a grocer of Dom’s caliber is a significant step in the Hawthorn 2.0 Redevelopment project, bringing an integral component that truly makes the ‘shop, dine, play and live’ concept a reality for area residents as well as those who live in Hawthorn’s newly opened apartments at The Domaine. Dom’s Kitchen & Market is exactly the kind of first-to-market retail experience we want to provide for our shoppers,” said Jeff Rutzen, Hawthorn’s general manager.

In a statement, a Dom’s Kitchen & Market spokesperson agreed the location was a natural fit: “Community and convenience are core to Dom's concept. Just as Dom’s is redefining the meal shopping experience, the Hawthorn is redefining the mall shopping experience.”

The suburban store will follow the 2024 opening of Dom’s third location in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. It’s been a busy year for the startup grocery founded by longtime and legacy grocery executives: The merger deal between Dom’s and Foxtrot is expected to close at the end of this calendar year and the new organization will be known as Outfox Hospitality.

Foxtrot is also on the march. Reports surfaced this month that the retailer, also based in Chicago with a presence in Washington, D.C. and Texas markets, is exploring an additional location in the Andersonville neighborhood of the Windy City.