An In-Depth Explanation Of The Closure Of Foxtrot & Dom’s Kitchen & Market

At the end of November 2023, upscale grocery shops Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market merged under the parent company Outfox Hospitality. Then, yesterday, the new company abruptly closed its doors to all of the Foxtrot and Dom’s locations. These grocery stores were well-loved by many, especially in the Chicago area, as a space to work and lounge (and free Wi-Fi) offering a variety of grab-and-go meals, functional beverages, and gummy candies aside from the array of grocery items. It was more than just a grocery store with tables, but a spot to socialize and hang out. It was a destination, often described by most as a modern-day convenience store.

“The closure affects 33 Foxtrot and 2 Dom’s grocery stores across Chicago, Austin, Dallas, DC areas,” the company wrote in an Instagram post with disabled comments on April 23. “We explored many avenues to continue the business but found no viable option despite good faith and exhaustive efforts.” 

Navigating to the suggested website in the post (Dom’s website is still running however, Foxtrot’s only has the statement from the company there), Dom’s notes that the stores and Dom’s Go/Foxtrot apps were closed immediately on April 23 with all Dom’s and Foxtrot account credit and member perks expiring that same day.

What are Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market?

For a bit of backstory, Foxtrot made its debut in 2016 as a delivery-only app for liquor in Chicago but still had physical stores with its first location being in Fulton Market. During the pandemic, the app made waves due to bar closures. As the establishment expanded, Foxtrot became an alternative to corner stores, partnering with restaurants and brands as well as a spot for customers to lounge and work. The company had stores in busy areas — in Chicago alone, there were 15 Foxtrots, including one in Willis Tower and the former Tribune Tower.

Dom’s Kitchen & Market debuted in 2021 as the combination of your everyday grocery store and a gourmet vendor. Think of it like a less-bougie (but still pricey) Erewhon. Dom’s goal was to open 15 stores in Chicago by 2025, according to Eater Chicago. 

Why are Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market locations closing so abruptly?

The now-closed company filed for bankruptcy. A meeting was called on Tuesday evening to discuss the company’s future and workers, Eater reported. Last year, the company amassed $18.6 million in debt as it expanded to 33 locations across Chicago, Austin, Texas, Dallas, and the Washington, D.C. area. 

With the abrupt closing of 33 Foxtrots and two Dom’s grocery stores came a mass layoff of over 100 workers. When a company does a mass layoff, they are required to submit layoff notices with a 60-day warning to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN). As of today, there are no notices on Illinois’ or Texas’ WARN report pages.

Yesterday morning, Dom’s Kitchen & Market on 1233 N. Wells St., Chicago had a sign on its door stating, “We are closed effective immediately. It’s been a pleasure serving our community. Please Keep our staff in your thoughts.”

How do people feel about the Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market locations closing?

The abruptness of it all is what has many going to TikTok to talk about the closures. In multiple videos, many people said that they were kicked out of the locations without an explanation. In Becky Navarro’s TikTok, it was mentioned that one of her friends was told she needed to leave the store “in five minutes, we’re locking the doors.”

However, employees weren’t given an explanation either, finding out that same day about the closures. “The company cut all power to my building, customers were escorted out. It was devastating. There was no compassion or humanity,” commented an employee on a TikTok. 

Declan Rhodes took to TikTok to add an employee’s perspective on the closures. During Rhodes’ opening shift at one of the Foxtrot Chicago locations, he found out he was losing his job just hours before the company announced its closure on Instagram.

He said they had to close the store earlier than normal at 11 a.m. “We kicked everyone out, we put a sign on a door,” Rhodes said in the video. “And then the purge commences.”

The lack of information and a sole Instagram post from Foxtrot left fans confused. After the news, many flooded to some of the locations to get free items from the upscale grocery stores, including wine. However, many are saddened by the news of their favorite shop closing, and most are disheartened about not knowing where to get Foxtrot’s gummies and other local treats, and others on finding another coffee shop to work from.