Notice of Withdrawal

EATS GROCERIES, LLC WITHDRAWS OUR OFFER TO ACQUIRE THE VACANT BRONZEVILLE WALMART

"Alderman Lamont Robinson decided not to allow us to open a supermarket in his Ward in the vacant Walmart on 47th and Cottage Grove. After the cost and effort to win community endorsement, it is difficult, but I will to avoid any opinion while sticking solely to facts about his decision. In the 15-minute meeting six months ago his opinion was that if he endorsed us, Walmart would agree. He has not agreed to meet since. His 15 minutes were matched by our offered $15 million Bronzeville investment offer. We communicated publicly and privately that without Aldermanic endorsement, we will not do business in Chicago. He asked no further questions and raised no objection. There are 9-years remaining on this vacant location. It is cheaper for Walmart to leave it vacant than to lose the $10,000 per day (from excess theft shrinkage) cost to be open for business.

Our upscale concierge processes were reviewed by managers of Mariano’s, Local Foods, Whole Foods, and other experienced super marketers. Each thought that we would be profitable and sustainable in “food deserts” that would otherwise fail consistently. Many locations are now food deserts and others are at risk.

The six months of effort in Robinson’s Ward included securing funding, architectural plans, recruiting endorsements of major businesses and community business and church leaders including a community meeting. Aldermanic endorsement was the last requirement for EATS to secure a fair sublease with Walmart.

I will avoid speculation about why this Alderman and others do not choose to bring these services to their community. I will refrain from opinions developed over 13 years of experience. What is not OK is when Aldermen try to sell the falsehood that we just left, not that EATS was shut out.

Before Alderman Robinson refused to endorse us, EATS was initially told to stop community meetings that informed residents who we are, what was offered, and why we can be sustainable and told to remove his meeting recognition from our website. We even offered an Alderman co-sponsored community meeting that included adjacent wards. Declined! We needed an endorsement deadline in order to be open by Thanksgiving.

We presented funding from investors and Wintrust Community Bank and support from IIT, Insight Hospital, Michael Reese Research, DE LaSalle HS, Dearborn Homes, St James Church, Bright Star Church, Grant Memorial Church, Transforming Reentry Services, State Rep. Kimberly Du Buchet, United Church of Christ, local businesses like Bronzeville Winery. We found universal acceptance from everyone who knew our plans for the Bronzeville area and in other “food deserts” where we would eventually expand a chain. The only opponents are apparently the Aldermen. Some advocates disappeared after Alderman Robinson rejected us. Aldermen can influence whether church funding requirements like re-entry, teen programs, and food pantries are available.

Chicago-wise businesses know that without Aldermanic political endorsement, neither permits nor inspections seem feasible or likely. As Alderman Lamont Robinson said in our only meeting, it is him and the City that will dictate whether Walmart offers us a fair sub-lease on this vacant property.

We offered staff childcare, over 100 Teen entrepreneurship positions, a pharmacy, local jobs that included formerly incarcerated, café, Kid zone to introduce games and puppet shows and healthy food choices, member meal tastings in the entertainment area with take home kits of diabetic and diet meals, coach bus routes for distant “food desert” areas, and delivery to senior homes.

Although the Walmart is on the border of two wards where surrounding residents are greatly impacted by Alderman Lamont Robinson’s decision, Alderman Dowell said that the address is not her Ward. “Aldermanic" "Privilege” might prevent her from voicing opinion although the Dearborn Homes were counting on us. The vacant Walmart is across the street from her Ward. No combined Aldermanic community meeting was accepted.

For 13-years we have offered our solution to the “food desert” national embarrassment. It was developed at the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University and presented to five predominately Black ward Aldermen. EATS was rebuffed and stopped by each Alderman. We finally concede that we cannot defeat City Hall obstruction to curtail the growth of “food deserts” in Black communities.

Despite written endorsements from Brandon Johnson, Danny Davis, Senators Kimberly Lightford and Chris Harmon, Timuel Black, Reps. LaShawn Ford, Art Turner, Emanuel “Chris Welch”, Bus. Dean of Loyola University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Michael Reese Hospital, years of endorsements from North Lawndale, Austin, and South Shore communities and now Bronzeville, we withdraw our offer to eliminate Chicago “food deserts”.

Of five Aldermen that have blocked us, one imprisoned, two resigned with only Robinson and Ervin still in office. Huge real estate profits are made by the few from poverty. Has revitalization been forbidden?

The City and Aldermen may rewrite a reason as to why we have given up on Chicago. We do not regret trying or the costly attempts since that is what responsible citizens do. Over a decade trying is noble but futile.

As a minority owned LLC, we now have conceded that Chicago, our hometown, is not willing to change the 50- plus years of disparity in health, food access, economy and, associated 20-year lifespan of Chicago zip codes.

Many wards have the misconception that EATS quit. We presented to residents at Aldermen Ervin, Taliaferro and Mitts Ward meetings in Austin, Pastor Breakfast and NLCCC meetings in N. Lawndale, and numerous events in S. Shore. Those residents still do not know why supermarkets, and many specialty stores disappeared.

Walmart even published that theft levels were their reason for closing four of their eight stores thus far. Our EATS process has little to no theft, so we only left because Aldermanic Privilege requires a strong letter of Aldermanic endorsement which we never received. City Planning elucidated this established rule.

I will not speculate as to whether the next three years will determine if a few remaining stores in predominantly Black communities will continue to operate at a loss. Whole Foods, Aldi, Mariano’s, Jewel, Sav-a-Lot, and those that are losing money may all become de facto “municipal stores” subsidized by taxpayers. EATS Groceries LLC was designed to replace the closed and yet to close money losing stores. To put the record straight, it is not EATS Groceries, LLC that has abandoned the communities. If Aldermen say otherwise, they are…. Mis-stating?

It was suggested that we were rejected because I, as CEO of EATS Groceries, am perceived as White. I can only hope “that people be judged not by the color of their skin, but, by the content of their character”. We do not allow racist attitudes in our company. As being from Italian, Hispanic, ancestral Black Moorish, Irish and German descent, I guess I pass as White. EATS Groceries, LLC. is a minority and woman owned enterprise. We have a “Caucasian” formerly incarcerated investor who is now a professor and attorney. We are proud of him and each of our other diverse investors who attempted to implement our mission to revitalize “food desert” communities.

We will continue our social enterprise with a different job-oriented program that will be open in the first quarter of 2025. We will not be opening supermarkets. We will continue to profitably “do business for good” that will not need refunding from taxpayers.

Sincere thanks to anyone who had the interest to read a moment inside this Chicago history.

Thom Alcazar
MBA-Founder/CEO/CSCMP
EATS Groceries, LLC
talcazar@eatsgroceries.com