Foxtrot to Return to Its Roots
CHICAGO — Four months after abruptly closing all of its locations and two months after announcing its resurrection, Foxtrot plans to invite all of its employees back to its reopened Chicago locations.
According to a post on the official Foxtrot Instagram, the project to bring back the brand originated with former Foxtrot team members who have vowed to stay true to the company's roots.
"The decision to shut down Foxtrot, and to do it so abruptly, was not ours," the post said. "We believe the old Foxtrot lost its way. In the unnecessary race to be the biggest, it lost sight of why it started in the first place."
The Foxtrot saga has had its share of remarkable ups and downs over the last year. After merging with Dom's Kitchen & Market in late 2023 and forming a new umbrella entity, Outfox Hospitality, the abrupt closure of both chains in April came as a shock to both the industry and staff.
"They actually just put us all into the lunchroom and said we're finished... we're closing the company... all the stores, so just go home," Juan Melendez, a former assembler at Foxtrot Commissary, told ABC 7 Chicago.
Then in June, after the shutdown had already been assumed a fait accompli, Foxtrot announced its return, picking up intellectual assets and some locations in the wake of Outfox declaring bankruptcy. The new incarnation has already applied for liquor licenses at four Chicago locations and appears to be moving ahead with its reopenings.
The new Foxtrot team acknowledged that there would be a long road ahead to both re-engage its customers and its staff.
"We can't make everything right from the past, and we know there's work to be done," the company stated. "But we also know opening our doors again is the best way to provide the most opportunities for all."
As of now, no announcements have been made for specific opening dates.