Dive Brief:
- Foxtrot, the upscale convenience retailer that unexpectedly ceased operations before filing for bankruptcy earlier this year, will reopen this week under the leadership of its founders, according to a Tuesday morning announcement.
- Foxtrot’s c-store in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood will open its doors on Thursday, Sept. 5 “with an expanded coffee experience and reimagined food offering” that will also be included in upcoming locations, according to the announcement. Like its previous stores, this location will also feature a variety of products from local vendors.
- This marks the first of what’s expected to be 15 reopened Foxtrot locations through next year, Foxtrot Chairman Mike LaVitola said in an interview with C-Store Dive in June.
Dive Insight:
At the start of 2024, Foxtrot — which had about 35 locations across Chicago; Dallas; Austin, Texas; and Washington, D.C. — appeared to be focused on its integration with Chicago-based grocery chain Dom’s Kitchen & Market, which it merged with in late 2023. But a few months in, everything came to a halt.
In the weeks and months after both banners closed their doors in April, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and sold the assets for 15 of its c-stores to an unknown holding company in a public auction that one attendee called “completely ramrodded.” By early June, plans to reopen those locations had begun.
In the June interview with C-Store Dive, LaVitola confirmed that those 15 stores were located across Chicago, Dallas and Austin. He said at the time that the goal was to open the first one in six to eight weeks, and the rest by the end of 2024.
Instead, the process took about 12 weeks, and the total timeline has been pushed into 2025. In the company’s announcement, LaVitola emphasized the food and coffee programs as a “true reflection” of the brand.
The food menu will feature Foxtrot’s signature breakfast tacos, as well as new items such as made-to-order panini sandwiches, salads and bowls, as well as fresh-baked cookies. Coffee offerings will include exclusive blends The Milk Man and Early Train Espresso, as well as options from local roasting partners Metric and Kyoto Black.
