Tuesday was an extra cold day in the freezer aisle of Foxtrot, a bougie grocery store chain with multiple locations in D.C. The grocery retailer abruptly shuttered all of their locations across D.C., Chicago, Austin, and Dallas with little notice to employees.
Foxtrot’s owners, Outfox Hospitality, released a quick statement as they shut down all locations. The statement does not provide much explanation for the closures; owners claim that they “explored many avenues to continue the business but found no viable option despite good faith and exhaustive efforts.”
The closure comes five months after Foxtrot merged with Chicago-based grocery chain Dom’s Kitchen & Market. The food and beverage Substack newsletter Snaxshot has reported that Outfox will file for bankruptcy.
As of Tuesday, April 23, Foxtrot says it has disabled all customer-facing operations. The chain also says that all store operations, delivery capabilities, and store credits are no longer available.
The move leaves some people in D.C. in limbo. Foxtrot has not explained how (or if) it will reimburse customers with undelivered delivery purchases or unused store credits. The decision to close also leaves their former employees in the lurch; some employees quickly filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, according to Bloomberg. The suit alleges that the company violated federal and state employment laws by laying off employees without notice and is seeking class action status that could include as many as 1,000 employees throughout the country.
Foxtrot was the closest thing D.C. had to the California-based Erewhon, the creme de la creme of absurdly priced boutique grocery chains. Foxtrot was known for its eclectic selection of high-end grocery products, featuring treats such as Geem seaweed snacks and a multitude of chic natural wines.
While the chain has only been around in the District since 2021, it has developed a cult following. It will be missed by connoisseurs of overpriced snacks and mediocre smoothies.