In April, when Outfox Hospitality suddenly closed all 33 of its Foxtrot locations in Chicago, Texas, and the D.C. area, plus a pair of Dom’s Kitchen & Market locations on Chicago’s North Side, about a 1,000 workers lost their jobs without warning and its store vendors scrambled for solutions. Outfox has made little public comment and offered little communication with their ex-employees.
In particular, Foxtrot had built a big brand fixated on the North Side of Chicago. It was a hybrid corner store, cafe, bar, and Instacart competitor. The chain traits were similar to af 7-Eleven, but instead of Slurpees, Foxtrot sold natural wine, craft beer, and gourmet items made by well-known chefs. Weeks after the closure, the stores have been left in various conditions. Some have been papered up. Others look ready for the start of business with fully stocked shelves. As of early May, the site of a proposed Dom’s in River North still has “coming soon” signage.
Outfox was powered by venture capital. When Dom’s and Foxtrot merged in November 2023, Foxtrot had already reportedly raised $194 million in total funding. Under the Outfox umbrella, both brands had designs on expansion, and Foxtrot was planning to debut in New York. Now, Foxtrot’s assets are about to be sold via auction. No bankruptcy filing has been made.
Read through Eater Chicago’s coverage of Foxtrot and Dom’s for a clearer picture of what the shutters mean, and bookmark this page for future updates.
Ashok Selvam
Source link
