In a new interview, the former CEO of the popular Foxtrot grocery and market chain said he too was left in the dark about the abrupt closure of 35 stores nationwide that laid off hundreds of employees in April.
"I am still trying to find out a lot of answers," Michael LaVitola, one of the cofounders of Foxtrot, told NBC Chicago. "I was unfortunately in a spot where, you know, I was in a similar situation to a lot of our team members, kinda finding things out in real time."
LaVitola started Foxtrot 10 years ago but said he stepped down as the CEO 18 months ago and couldn’t believe what went down in April.
"It was really, really shocking and really just awful the way that everything happened," he said, "just absolutely, absolutely awful."
A new company is taking over Foxtrot and ready for its comeback. The executive chairman told NBC Chicago that several stores in Chicago will reopen this summer, including in Old Town, Gold Coast and Fulton Market.
"We got most of those actually now signed," said cofounder Michael LaVitola. "We have keys back, we're in stores, we're starting to clean up finally after all these months."
The holding company at the time, Outfox Hospitality, filed for bankruptcy in May after merging Foxtrot with Dom's Kitchen and Market at the end of last year.
"Another firm came in, bought the assets, because they wanted to see Foxtrot continue, so they worked with the bank and other creditors and we're able to essentially secure the Foxtrot brand," he explained.
LaVitola is now teaming up with the new company to reopen 10 of the 15 shuttered stores in the city. He's also helping to bring back their vendors and employees who were laid off.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
"We just started reaching out to folks this week and so we have got a few folks that we know on board now, and certainly the hope is that when the stores open they're filled with many familiar faces," he said.
NBC Chicago learned the locations in the Gold Coast and Old Town will reopen in six to eight weeks, and the cofounder reassured the public they’re committed to bringing the Foxtrot community back.
"I think the best way to do that is by reopening the stores and getting to re-engage with our employees and our vendors and we’re excited to do it," he said.
