Foxtrot (convenience store)

{{Short description|Convenience store chain based in Chicago}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{advert|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Foxtrot

| logo =

| logo_caption =

| image = Foxtrot Logo.png

| logo_upright =

| logo_alt =

| industry =

| predecessor =

| founded = {{sda|2015}} in Chicago, United States

| founder =

| defunct = {{End date|2024|04|23}}

| fate = Bankruptcy and liquidation

| successor =

| hq_location_city = Chicago, Illinois

| hq_location_country = U.S.

| area_served = {{Ubl|Austin|Chicago|Dallas|Washington D.C.}}

| key_people = {{Ubl|Liz Williams (CEO)

|Mike LaVitola (Co-founder and chairman){{Cite web |url=https://newconsumer.com/2023/04/foxtrot-market-ceo-liz-williams-aesop-loreal/ |title=Foxtrot has a new CEO. What's changing and what isn't? |date=2023-04-08 |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=The New Consumer |last=Frommer |first=Dan}}

|Tae Strain (Corporate executive chef)}}

| products =

| owner =

| num_employees = 1,000

| num_employees_year = 2024

| parent = Outfox Hospitality

| website = {{URL|foxtrotco.com}}

}}

Foxtrot was a chain of convenience stores founded in Chicago in 2015{{cite news |last1=Beer |first1=Jeff |title=How America's most influential corner store picked 2024's next hot snacks |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91005317/foxtrot-market-corner-store-up-comer-award-next-big-snack-geem-tings |access-date=2024-04-05 |work=Fast Company |date=2024-01-08}} that also served as cafés, wine bars, and third places. It featured locally sourced products as well as wines and a selection of groceries.{{cite news |last1=Koprowski |first1=Amanda |title=What's In Store: Foxtrot, Haffner's & Parker's Kitchen |url=https://csnews.com/whats-store-foxtrot-haffners-parkers-kitchen |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=Convenience Store News |date=2024-02-29 |language=en}} They were present in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Dallas, Austin, and Chicago.{{cite web |title=Stores |url=https://foxtrotco.com/stores/washington-dc |website=Foxtrot |access-date=2024-04-05}}

In November 2023, the company announced it was going to be merged with Dom's Kitchen & Market, an upscale grocery store brand with 2 stores, to be named Outfox Hospitality.{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/douglasyu/2023/11/28/chicago-specialty-grocers-foxtrot-and-doms-merging-into-outfox-hospitality/?sh=639e63527932 |title=Chicago Specialty Grocers Foxtrot And Dom's Merging Into Outfox Hospitality |date=2023-11-28 |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=Forbes |last=Yu |first=Douglas}}

In January 2024, they opened their 10th location in Washington, D.C., their 33rd store in total.{{cite news |last1=Koprowski |first1=Amanda |title=Foxtrot Ranks Among Top Brands to Watch in 2024 |url=https://csnews.com/foxtrot-ranks-among-top-brands-watch-2024 |access-date=2024-04-05 |work=Convenience Store News |date=2024-02-07 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Adam |first1=Diane |title=Foxtrot Opens 10th D.C. Store |date=2024-01-04 |url=https://www.cspdailynews.com/company-news/foxtrot-opens-10th-dc-store |access-date=2024-04-05 |work=CSP Daily News |language=en}} Placer.ai rated it together with Trader Joe's as one of its 2024 "hot brands", saying that it was "redefining the convenience store" and noting that it was attractive to its "wine drinker" and "nutritionally aware" categories of customers.{{cite news |last1=Inklebarger |first1=Timothy |title=Trader Joe's and Foxtrot make hot brands list |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/news/trader-joe-s-and-foxtrot-make-hot-brands-list |access-date=2024-04-05 |work=Supermarket News |date=2024-02-05 |language=en}}

Foxtrot closed all of its locations suddenly on April 23, 2024. The company announced plans to file for bankruptcy protection.{{cite news|url= https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/foxtrot-doms-employees-seen-handing-out-items-from-store-shelves-after-unexpected-closures/3418484/?amp=1|work=NBC Chicago|title=Foxtrot employees seen handing out items from store shelves after unexpected closures|date=April 23, 2024|access-date=April 23, 2024}} A day after the closure, Foxtrot's parent company, Outfox Hospitality, became the subject of a class action lawsuit filed in Chicago by a former Foxtrot employee and store manager over violating Illinois state and federal labor laws in regards to the abrupt shutdown.{{cite news|url= https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/investigations/foxtrot-domsmarket-outfox-lawsuit-storeclosings-syed-hussain-haseeb-legal/65-1dc0ce3d-63d5-49bf-959a-29b000afdb4a|work=WUSA|title=Foxtrot hit with class action lawsuit over abrupt closures in DC, nationwide|date=April 24, 2024|access-date=April 24, 2024}}

On May 15, 2024, Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/foxtrot-market-and-doms-kitchen-file-for-bankruptcy/|title=Foxtrot Market and Dom's Kitchen file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy|date=May 15, 2024|access-date=May 15, 2024|website=CBS News|language=en}}