Time for Chicago to buy into public-owned grocery store concept
<p>Another seven <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/07/25/shoppers-left-stranded-as-save-a-lot-grocery-stores-permanently-close-we-have-to-eat-too" >grocery stores closed</a> on Chicago’s South and West sides last month, leaving thousands of families wondering where they’ll buy fresh food next.</p><p>More closures are another reminder that access to something as basic as groceries remains fragile, depending on your ZIP code.</p><p>Unfortunately, we’ve seen this movie before.</p><p>In 2023, the city of Chicago approved <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/small-business/2025/10/20/save-a-lot-yellow-banana-city-deal-grocery-requirements-penalties" >roughly $26 million in incentives</a> to help Yellow Banana renovate and reopen Save A Lot stores, including $13.5 million in taxpayer financing. Now seven of those stores are shuttered.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-7c0000" name="module-7c0000"></a> <div class="RichTextSidebarModule-title">Commentary bug</div> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h2>Commentary</h2></div> </div><p>More than a decade ago, city and federal leaders invested roughly $20 million to bring a Whole Foods to Englewood, heralding it as proof that private investment could solve decades of food disinvestment.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>Another seven <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/07/25/shoppers-left-stranded-as-save-a-lot-grocery-stores-permanently-close-we-have-to-eat-too" >grocery stores closed</a> on Chicago’s South and West sides last month, leaving thousands of families wondering where they’ll buy fresh food next.</p><p>More closures are another reminder that access to something as basic as groceries remains fragile, depending on your ZIP code.</p><p>Unfortunately, we’ve seen this movie before.</p><p>In 2023, the city of Chicago approved <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/small-business/2025/10/20/save-a-lot-yellow-banana-city-deal-grocery-requirements-penalties" >roughly $26 million in incentives</a> to help Yellow Banana renovate and reopen Save A Lot stores, including $13.5 million in taxpayer financing. Now seven of those stores are shuttered.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-7c0000" name="module-7c0000"></a> <div class="RichTextSidebarModule-title">Commentary bug</div> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h2>Commentary</h2></div> </div><p>More than a decade ago, city and federal leaders invested roughly $20 million to bring a Whole Foods to Englewood, heralding it as proof that private investment could solve decades of food disinvestment. When that <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2022/5/2/23054290/lightfoot-whole-foods-closing-englewood-prices-replacement-store-emanuel" >Whole Foods closed</a>, the community was left right back where it started.</p><p>Governmental bodies keep writing the same checks and expecting a different <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/5/9/23063658/food-deserts-englewood-whole-foods-public-option-for-groceries-ameya-pawar-paul-williams-other-views" target="_blank" >ending</a>.</p><p>Grocery stores are a business. And no private investor would put millions of dollars into a business only to receive no ownership stake, no collateral and no accountability — then simply hope everything works out.
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- What's the story?
- <p>Another seven <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2026/07/25/shoppers-left-stranded-as-save-a-lot-grocery-stores-permanently-close-we-have-to-eat-too" >grocery stores closed</a> on Chicago’s South and West sides last month, leaving thousands of families wondering where they’ll buy fresh food next.</p><p>More closures are another reminder that access to something as basic as groceries remains fragile, depending on your ZIP code.</p><p>Unfortunately, we’ve seen this movie before.</p><p>In 2023, the city of Chicago approved <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/small-business/2025/10/20/save-a-lot-yellow-banana-city-deal-grocery-requirements-penalties" >roughly $26 million in incentives</a> to help Yellow Banana renovate and reopen Save A Lot stores, including $13.5 million in taxpayer financing. Now seven of those stores are shuttered.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-center><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-7c0000" name="module-7c0000"></a> <div class="RichTextSidebarModule-title">Commentary bug</div> <div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h2>Commentary</h2></div> </div><p>More than a decade ago, city and federal leaders invested roughly $20 million to bring a Whole Foods to Englewood, heralding it as proof that private investment could solve decades of food disinvestment.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 7m ago.
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Time for Chicago to buy into public-owned grocery store concept
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times