Fresh Market store set to replace Dom’s in Chicago

Small-format, upscale grocer The Fresh Market is going to open a store in the space recently occupied by the now-shuttered Dom’s Kitchen & Market in Lincoln Park, Crain’s Chicago Business reported, citing a jobs posting on the Fresh Market website. Dom’s closed its two stores in Chicago on April 23 when urban convenience-store chain Foxtrot, its fellow brand, closed all 33 of its stores in Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C., with no notice to employees.

The Fresh Market, which operates 160 stores across 22 states, is looking to fill nine manager-level roles for a new store at 2730 N. Halsted St., the address formerly home to one of two Dom’s locations, according to the report.

A spokesperson for Greensboro, North Carolina-based The Fresh Market confirmed the plans. “We're thrilled to announce that The Fresh Market will be opening a new location in Chicago's vibrant Lincoln Park neighborhood this fall. Our new store will be located at 2730 N. Halsted St., the former site of Dom’s Kitchen & Market,” the spokesperson told CSP. “We understand how cherished Dom’s was to the local community, and we are committed to providing an exceptional shopping experience that honors this legacy. At The Fresh Market, we aim to deliver a familiar yet elevated shopping experience that will exceed guests’ expectations and are excited to become a valued part of the Lincoln Park community.”

The fate of the other former Dom’s store at 1233 N. Wells St. in Old Town is uncertain.

The Lincoln Park location will join Fresh Market stores in Crystal Lake, Geneva, Lake Forest and Wilmette, Illinois, with new stores planned in Northbrook and Naperville, Illinois, Crain’s said.

Foxtrot’s Fortunes

Outfox Hospitality, the recently formed parent company of Foxtrot and Dom’s, filed a petitionin the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in May for relief under Chapter 7 of the federal bankruptcy code.

Foxtrot’s assets were sold at auction on May 10 for approximately $2.2 million, according to a report by Crain’s. The buyer was holding company Further Point Enterprises, New York.

Following the closures, some employees filed lawsuits against the company, alleging they were not provided with the required 60-day notice before their jobs were terminated.

Foxtrot intends to reopen several locations in Chicago in the Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods, a spokesperson from the chain told CSP.More new locations in Chicago, Dallas and Austin will be announced in the coming weeks, but the Washington, D.C., locations will not be reopening, the spokesperson said.

Mike LaVitola, Foxtrot’s original founder, started a new company after Outfox Hospitality declared bankruptcy and sold its assets. The new company is the root of Foxtrot’s possible return. It is unclear whether LaVitola’s new company is in partnership with Further Point Enterprises.

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This story was originally featured on CSP Daily News, a sister publication of Supermarket News.