Foxtrot Will Reopen First Store This Week, Nearly Five Months Since Sudden Closures | Eater Chicago

"I'm framing the 23 W. Maple Street opening on Thursday, September 5 as the chain's attempted comeback after Outfox Hospitality abruptly closed 33 Foxtrot stores and filed for bankruptcy in May; the assets were bought at auction for $2.5 million by an entity led by co-founder Mike LaVitola, who says he wants to return the company to its roots by showcasing cool snacks made by local artisans and avoiding the mistakes that led to the chain's failure. LaVitola emphasizes “getting it right” at individual locations instead of rushing to scale, and he plans to lean on the coffee bar—which he calls the biggest revenue driver and a major reason Foxtrot carved out a niche—as well as continue the La Colombe partnership while adding local roasters Metric and Kyoto Black. Breakfast tacos will remain, and the menu will expand with panini sandwiches, salads, lunch bowls, and cookies. There are still open questions—vendors remain cautious after the closures, a class-action suit over the shutdowns is pending, and it’s unclear whether customers will need to create new app profiles—but LaVitola insists he’s committed to delivering an “awesome experience” with more in-store storytelling to connect customers to the people behind the products." - Ashok Selvam