Foxtrot targets North Side growth with 2027 openings in Lake View and Lincoln Park

Foxtrot plans to open two new Chicago stores in 2027, one in Lake View and another in Lincoln Park, as the specialty grocer continues its comeback after a 2024 bankruptcy and shutdown. According to the Chicago Business Journal, the company is aiming for what Chief Operating Officer Jason DaPisa called “disciplined growth,” focusing on neighborhoods with strong foot traffic and visibility.

The Lake View store will open at 917 W. Belmont Ave. in the Belmora residential building, taking over a former Ann Sather Restaurant space, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Per the report, Foxtrot said the site fits its neighborhood model because it is walkable and transit-friendly. DaPisa added, “Foxtrot was created as a neighborhood gathering place, and Belmora's walkable, transit-oriented location makes it a natural fit for our next Chicago store,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

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Belmora and Clark Street sites

As reported by the Chicago Business Journal, the Belmora project is a five-story mixed-use development with 92 apartment units and ground-floor retail space. The first phase, at 919 W. Belmont, is expected to open in the fall, while Foxtrot will anchor the second phase at 917 W. Belmont with about 3,000 square feet of retail, the business journal confirmed. The company expects the Lake View store to open sometime next year.

Foxtrot’s second planned location is at 2600 N. Clark St. in Lincoln Park, at the corner of Clark Street and Wrightwood Avenue. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the site will be part of a mixed-use building with retail and apartments, including affordable units. DaPisa said Lake View had been a target for the company for two years, the Chicago Business Journal noted.

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Foxtrot previously operated in Lake View before its 2024 collapse and has since reopened nine Chicago stores and two in Dallas, according to the Chicago Business Journal. DaPisa said, per the report, “We want to grow in a disciplined way,” adding that the company is seeking “great submarkets” and “great local communities” for future expansion.

The grocer once had 33 locations across Chicago, Austin, Dallas and Washington, D.C., before Outfox Hospitality filed for bankruptcy. Since then, Foxtrot has returned with a smaller footprint and a heavier focus on new builds and selective neighborhood openings.

For Lake View residents, the company said the store will offer coffee, breakfast, lunch items, and grocery essentials throughout the day.