Topline
Upscale grocery chains Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market are shuttering their stores starting Tuesday, according to a statement, which comes less than a year after the combined company of the grocers—Outfox Hospitality— was established through a merger.
33 Foxtrot locations will be shuttered in total. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service ... [+]
Key Facts
The closure, announced on Foxtrot’s website, affects 33 Foxtrots and two Dom’s locations in Chicago, Austin, Dallas and Washington D.C.
The grocers “explored many avenues to continue the business but found no viable option,” the statement said.
A meeting within Outfox was called for Tuesday evening to discuss the company’s next move with workers, Eater Chicago reported, noting 1,000 staffers work at Outfox with about 100 full-time workers in Chicago.
The closures of the grocery stores happened suddenly Tuesday, with some locations’ employees handing out free wine and others removing customers in the middle of operating hours.
When asked by customers why one of Foxtrot’s Chicago-based locations was closing, an employee said they couldn’t say why, the Chicago Tribune reported, which added Foxtrot has 15 stores in the city.
Foxtrot didn’t immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
Big Number
$100 million. That’s how much Foxtrot raised in series C funding in early 2022, about a year before it raised $18.6 million in debt financing to fund the opening of new locations.
Key Background
The merger between Foxtrot and Dom’s was announced late last year, bringing both grocers under the entity of Outfox and the lead of CEO Liz Williams. Outfox announced in February that Williams would be exiting her role as CEO and be replaced by Rob Twyman effective March 11. Foxtrot and Dom’s were known for locally sourced foods, organic products, wine curation and restaurant stalls.
Further Reading
Foxtrot, Dom’s Kitchen & Market Closing All Locations (Chicago Eater)
Dom’s Kitchen, Foxtrot closing months into merger (Chicago Tribune)
