On April 23rd, 2024, Foxtrot Market and Dom's Kitchen & Market, two upscale grocery store chains merged under the umbrella of Outfox Hospitality, shocked their employees and customers by closing all their stores. This sudden closure came after a series of financial difficulties and unsuccessful attempts to restructure the business. The closure resulted in hundreds of people losing their jobs. In a statement released online, the companies expressed regret for their decision and the impact it had on their employees and patrons. The statement stated that the companies had explored several options to keep the business running, but none of them were viable.
Monica Perez, an employee at Dom's Kitchen & Market in Lincoln Park, was left in a state of disbelief when she arrived at work only to find the store closed. She shared with CBS Chicago her shock at not receiving any call from her manager and had shown up for work as if it was a regular day. The lack of communication added to the confusion and uncertainty.
Laura Feldman, a labor law attorney with The Prinz Law Firm, raised a serious concern that the companies may have breached the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. It appeared that the employees were not given any notice, a potential violation of their rights. The WARN Act mandates employers with 75 or more employees to provide a 60-day written notice of a closure or mass layoff, a provision that seemed to have been overlooked.
Suppliers of Foxtrot and Dom's were caught off guard by the sudden shutdown of the combined company. Michael Ciapciak, owner of Big Bang Pie and one of their largest customers, expressed frustration at the lack of communication. He said, "We made deliveries as recently as yesterday." Now, Ciapciak and other suppliers will have to find ways to recover owed funds for recent orders, a process that could potentially take months and put their own businesses at risk.
Foxtrot and Dom had a unique presence in Chicago, Austin, Dallas, and the Washington D.C. area. They were known for their high-end convenience store experience, offering a wide range of specialty items, prepared foods, and local products. Their closure not only means the loss of jobs and suppliers, but also the disappearance of a unique shopping experience that catered to the local community's needs and preferences. However, the reasons behind the rapid demise of Outfox Hospitality, the parent company of Foxtrot and Dom's, are unclear. The companies' financial health prior to the merger and the potential influence of economic factors are areas that require further investigation.