Foxtrot Will Rise Again — Sort of: Here’s What You Need to Know [Updated] (2024)

It’s official: the co-founder of Foxtrot on Wednesday, June 5 announced plans to reopen 15 stores in Chicago, Dallas, and Austin, Texas, this summer. Rumors have swirled for weeks that Mike LaVitola was plotting a comeback. Some former Foxtrot workers, the same employees who weren’t given any warning when former parent company Outfox Hospitality suddenly ceased operations on April 23, have been asked by managers about their interest in coming back.

LaVitola says in six to eight weeks that stores in Old Town and Gold Coast will reopen. He’s planning to reopen 15 stores total with more than half in Chicago. When asked if he had a message for workers who suddenly lost their jobs, LaVitola says that he’s “sorry that they found themselves in that situation and we want to do what we can to be there for them now in this new version of Foxtrot and really provide opportunities.”

When Foxtrot’s assets went up for auction on May 10, speculation mounted that the $2.2 million winning bid was from a firm connected with LaVitola. Observers who attended the online auction pointed out that only one party, Further Point Enterprises, made a bid. LaVitola says that without Foxtrot many workers wouldn’t have the same employment opportunities and that “a lot of these local, small, emerging vendors,” wouldn’t have access to a retail platform — “a key piece of the ecosystem” — that demonstrates the kind of value that could lead to accounts with larger stores.

“It’s the right thing to do — I mean, that’s the end of it, right?” LaVitola says of reopening.

LaVitola admits there’s plenty of work to restore Foxtrot and to rebuild trust with vendors. He dodged questions about how the company will handle unpaid invoices, saying Outfox Hospitality — Foxtrot’s former parent (a separate entity that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection; LaVitola wasn’t involved), hasn’t furnished them with information. He’s been personally reaching out to vendors for updates. Pretty Cool Ice Cream’s Dana Salls Cree confirms they’re meeting with LaVitola and are willing to listen to his pitch.

After weeks without comment, other than a statement posted to social media and Foxtrot’s website, a news release sent Wednesday morning confirmed the speculation: “Reopened stores will maintain the same layout and merchandising, focusing on small and local makers.” Vendors like Pretty Cool Ice Cream helped build Foxtrot’s success as a bougie corner store filled with artisanal goods. LaVitola, a University of Chicago graduate, co-founded Foxtrot in 2014 with a focus on delivering snacks to customers via an app; the properties the company owned were more or less mini-warehouses. The company evolved, shifting toward a shoppy-shop corner-store model, carrying upscale goods from local vendors. It built a chic brand and drew the attention of customers who regularly spent money at trendy restaurants — , Tortello, and Mindy’s Bakery were among the vendors who sold products at Foxtrot. Eventually, the brand opened locations in prestigious spaces like Fulton Market, Wrigley Field, and inside Willis Tower. Just before the closure, they inked a deal with La Colombe Coffee Roasters for its cafes.

Conspicuously absent from the statement was any mention of the Washington, D.C. area, where Foxtrot had 10 stores scattered across the District proper, Virginia, and Maryland. There were 33 Foxtrot stores in Chicago and eight in Texas. LaVitola says they’re not saying “no to D.C. for good,” but they needed to “focus on making sure that we can open up that we can treat our employees really well that we can be there for our vendors.”

Little is known about Further Point. Since the auction, the firm’s website has since gone private. But before that, it had already listed Foxtrot as part of its portfolio. Likewise, an email account linked to the site didn’t respond to a message requesting a comment. LaVitola says it was painful to sit on the sidelines watching the company he founded struggle. He said he never wanted to leave Foxtrot, the company he started, but was pushed out: “This was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, by a longshot.”

But LaVitola also concedes that when you raise a lot of money (reportedly $194 million) you attract “a lot of parties around the table” and that brings a different set of expectations that don’t necessarily align with the chain’s original mission. He says Foxtrot’s story isn’t unlike many businesses that raised large amounts of capital in 2021 and 2022: Most are all dealing with drastic market shifts and trying to figure out how to survive.

Foxtrot is developing a cohesive plan for all of the former locations. A Foxtrot in Lincoln Park along Armitage Avenue, which shared space with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, is a special case. Jeni’s has vacated, and there have been rumblings about angry former employees who may have taken a few souvenirs as parting gifts after losing their jobs. LaVitola says he’s yet to reach out to Jeni’s about bringing back the ice cream parlor.

The company combined with in late 2023 and formed Outfox Hospitality. Previously the two companies weren’t direct competitors, but they shared space in the retail world. Dom’s, with locations in Lincoln Park and Old Town, positioned itself as a challenger to shops like Whole Foods, an upscale traditional grocery store with a modest food court and a cafe. No bids were placed on Dom’s assets during the May 10 auction. That leaves the two existing locations, plus a planned River North entry, in limbo. Dom’s, like Foxtrot, sought to continue extending reach and influence. Foxtrot pushed aggressive expansion. LaVitola says for the next year or two, they’ll concentrate on stability for the 15 reopened locations, but expansion could follow. He had no comment on the future of Dom’s, saying he’s not involved with the entity.

Though the new Foxtrot aims to supply customers with what seems to be largely the same coffees, ice creams, chips, and condiments from local vendors, it may take time to rebuild trust. Eater spoke with several former Foxtrot vendors; none of those interviewed were contacted by the company at the time of publication. They saw the reopening news through a post on Foxtrot’s Instagram shared Wednesday morning, which reads, “a new Foxtrot with some old friends. Coming soon.”

The account disabled comments on the post, likely to avoid becoming a soapbox for frustrated workers and vendors, as formerly employed workers had on previous social media announcements. Foxtrot remains the defendant in several lawsuits alleging the company violated the state WARN Act, which mandates companies to notify workers if they plan mass layoffs. LaVitola says he isn’t sure how the lawsuits will be handled, saying that’s Further Point’s domain and that he’s focusing on reopening Foxtrot.

There are still unanswered questions about the future of the company’s product inventory and unpaid invoices. There are also ethical questions about Foxtrot, a company that offered no severance to workers and took away their jobs without warning. Some vendors worry that working with the new Foxtrot will damage their brands. Palita Sriratana, a chef who sold her Pink Salt Thai chili jams at Foxtrot says “there’s a big understated awkwardness amongst vendors.” They’re waiting to see what LaVitola does, but she recognizes the opportunity Foxtrot provided,

“At the end of the day, we want our products to get to our customers,” Sriratana says. “But it is up to the customer to know how they’re supporting us and with the downfall, I hope they understand the exploitative practices of Foxtrot and this is their chance to make this right.”

Update: June 5, 2024, 4:25 p.m.: This story was originally published on June 5. It has been updated throughout with comments from Mike LaVitola.