Foxtrot Market
Cafe · Near North Side ·
Gourmet snacks, local fare, draft beers, house coffees
Gourmet snacks, local fare, draft beers, house coffees
"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
"The Gold Coast location at 23 W. Maple Street is slated to be the chain’s first reopened store in the comeback, scheduled to open Thursday, September 5, and the relaunched shops are expected to stock items from many local brands familiar to fans." - Eater Staff
"At 23 W. Maple Street in the Gold Coast I was told new ownership plans to reopen this Foxtrot and will have more details later in the week. Foxtrot abruptly closed 33 locations three months ago after growing from a liquor-delivery app into an upscale bodega concept with trendy snacks, an espresso bar, and beer and wine for on-site consumption. The new Foxtrot entity is led by founder Mike LaVitola (chairman) and the Chicago assets were acquired after a $2.2 million sole bid by Further Point Enterprises at a May auction. Community response is mixed: there’s excitement about filling vacant storefronts, vendors are divided between relief and frustration over unpaid bills as bankruptcy proceeds, and former employees are still pursuing lawsuits for backpay." - Ashok Selvam
"The fast-growing corner store and delivery chain has applied for a liquor license for a Gold Coast spot at 23 W. Maple Street while also planning to relocate its headquarters and open a flagship in Fulton Market after recently debuting its ninth Chicago location in Wicker Park." - Ashok Selvam
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