Foxtrot to Reopen

After suddenly closing its doors in April and filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, specialty grocer Foxtrot revealed Wednesday that it will reopen in select markets including 15 stores in Chicago, Dallas, and Austin, Texas, according to Eater Chicago.

“A new Foxtrot with some old friends. Coming soon,” wrote the company on its Instagram page.

Foxtrot co-founder and former CEO Mike LaVitola is planning to reopen two locations in Chicago, reports the Chicago Tribune.

“There’s a lot of work still to do, and of course, I wish the company wasn’t in this position,” said LaVitola. “But it’s exciting to get the chance to hire back so many people here in Chicago, get all these products back on the shelf and re-jumpstart this great ecosystem.”

Outfox Hospitality, the company formed by the a merger between Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy May 14 and its assets were purchased by New York-investment firm Further Point Enterprises, according to the report. The new owner then reinstated LaVitola as a key stakeholder for the brand after being ousted as CEO by the previous company’s board in February 2023.

LaVitola mused on the downfall of the previous company, citing its rapid growth trajectory and the economic environment as the likely culprits.

“By that time, I was no longer an executive at the company, so I can’t speak to exactly what happened,” said LaVitola.  “My sense is just the company continued to have a very large overhead and despite it really resonating with consumers and having stores that were full, the overall company just was not profitable.” Full Story (Subscription Required)