Foxtrot Makes Moves to Reopen in Chicago Area
The second life of Foxtrot is set to begin with four Chicago locations.
According to city liquor license applications, the upscale convenience store chain's new ownership plans to reopen stores at 1722 West Division Street in Wicker Park; 1562 North Wells Street in Old Town; 23 West Maple Street in Gold Coast; and 171 North Green Street in Fulton Market.
No reopening dates were listed, but the company told the Eater Chicago blog that more information should be available within days.
News on Foxtrot's comeback arrives just months after the company abruptly closed down operations alongside the grocer Dom's Kitchen & Market, which joined forces with Foxtrot under the entity Outfox Hospitality in late 2023. The shutdown affected 33 Foxtrot locations and two Dom's grocery stores in the Chicago, Washington, D.C., Dallas and Austin, Texas, markets.
Prior to its closure, Foxtrot was named one of the Top 10 Brands to Watch in 2024 by data analytics firm Placer.ai based on its then-steady growth, the merger with Dom's and the company's focus on local brands.
Shoppers can expect a sense of familiarity from the reopened Foxtrot stores, according to a company spokesperson, who noted that they "will maintain the same layout and merchandising, focusing on small and local makers." The brand was known for playing up its more refined offerings, such as $5 pours of its in-house wines to visitors at store openings, along with the usual giveaways of swag and branded products.
Foxtrot's new incarnation is led by cofounder Mike LaVitola, who shared through a spokesperson plans to open multiple locations in Chicago, Dallas and Austin this summer. LaVitola is reportedly chairman of a new Foxtrot entity that includes investment firm Further Point Enterprises, which won the retailer's Chicago assets at auction with the sole $2.2 million bid.
This article originally appeared in sister publication Convenience Store News.
