Save A Lot opens quietly in Chicago after protests over Whole Foods closure

Save A Lot quietly opened its doors to customers on Thursday in the Chicago neighborhood of Englewood, following weeks of opposition from residents as the value-focused grocery store occupied a former location of upscale grocer Whole Foods Market.

It was Save A Lot's second run at opening the store, located at 832 W. 63rd St., due to a protest from residents in the community that scuttled the original opening set for April. The supermarket is owned by parent company Cleveland-based Yellow Banana LLC

The former Whole Foods store closed in November. Residents argued that Save A Lot stores do not carry healthy food and produce and that the stores are often unclean. One of eight Save A Lot stores in metro Chicago, located in the West Side neighborhood of Humboldt Park, was shut down last year due to a rat infestation, opponents said.  

Following the public protest outside the new Englewood location in April, the store met with neighbors and members of the Residents Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.) to discuss possible solutions, but about a week after the meeting, the store opened with no announcement. 

Joe Canfield, CEO of Yellow Banana, said in a telephone interview that opening day “went great” and the store received a lot of “positive feedback.” 

He said Yellow Banana went forward with the opening because requests by some in the community to not open were always a nonstarter. “We agreed to postpone the opening, but we never agreed to not open the store or break the lease,” he said. 

Canfield added that much of the town hall meeting in early May focused on renovations planned for the grocer’s Chicago locations. He acknowledged that stores such as the Humboldt Park location are in need of renovations.  

He said the company has secured $26 million in funding—about half of which comes from the city of Chicago—to renovate existing stores. That will include installing new flooring, lighting, HVAC, fresh food cases, interior and exterior paint, and more. Those renovations began this spring and are expected to continue over the next year.  

Yellow Banana reported in late April that it had closed on the financing, earmarked for five store upgrades and one store reopening in food deserts on the South and West Sides of Chicago. Plans call for the reopening of the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood store that closed in 2020 and remodels of stores in West Garfield Park, Morgan Park, South Chicago, South Shore and West Lawn.

Aisha Butler, CEO of RAGE, said in a phone interview that she was disappointed with the decision to open the Englewood Save A Lot without making any concessions to the community. She said Englewood residents wanted Save A Lot to postpone its opening and prioritize renovating its existing stores.

“We’d like them to go back to the drawing board and have further discussions with the landlord and Whole Foods … to see if the same incentives and discounts could work with a local operator,” Butler said. 

Working with a grocer from outside of the state makes it more difficult to develop a relationship with the community, according to Butler. “They don’t understand Chicago or the neighborhood—to them it’s just about the bottom line,” she said.  

Canfield said criticisms of some of the existing stores are “not unfounded,” noting that the new ownership group at Save A Lot is making a big commitment to providing quality stores and food for residents.  

“These stores are going to be brand new when we’re done with them,” he said. “We’re showing people the respect they deserve and providing them healthy, affordable options.”

Last year, Save A Lot, one of the nation's largest discount grocers, announced the completion of its transition from a retail to a wholesale model. That entailed the sale of almost 300 locations to retail partners.