"An upscale corner-store chain known for trendy snacks and merchandise sourced from Chicago’s restaurant community, it stocked local products such as specialty ice cream brands and in one location shared space with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. The chain suddenly closed in April, leaving unpaid vendor bills and prompting worker lawsuits alleging inadequate closure notice and unpaid wages. The founder, Mike LaVitola, who was not running the prior parent company when operations ceased, is leading a reboot under a newly formed entity backed by an investment fund that purchased the assets at auction for $2.2 million; he has been working to reestablish vendor relationships and plans to reopen roughly 15 stores (mostly in Chicago and some in Austin). Liquor-license filings indicate planned reopenings in Old Town, Fulton Market, Wicker Park and the Gold Coast, though two North Side locations at 900 W. Armitage Avenue and 3334 N. Southport Avenue will not be part of the comeback plan." - Ashok Selvam