Plum Market’s only Chicago location in Old Town will be closing this summer, forcing the company to relocate elsewhere.
This June, the Plum Market will close its location at 1233 N. Wells Street, making way for Dom’s Kitchen & Market. Instead of exiting the windy city completely, Co-owners Matthew and Marc Jonna hope to find new areas to open several new locations. The gourmet grocery market has some high expectations for its targeted areas. They hope to land in a neighborhood with an average household income higher than $125,000, 40% of the population within 1-mile holds a bachelor’s degree, and be within a 1-mile radius of 15,000 people.
“We have been looking for the last two years, mostly in the city. We have looked at a bunch of suburban sites as well,” said Brent Burden, senior vice president at Jameson Commercial real estate, which is working with Plum Market. “[Plum Market] loves the Chicago market.”
Matthew sent a letter to plum customers in February announcing the imminent closure of the company’s only Chicago location. The Old Town grocery store had more than 120 employees, some of which would be transferred to different states where Plum Markets exist. The company currently has four locations in Michigan and upcoming stores coming to Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Aventura, FL. Matthew directly blamed Dom’s Kitchen for the closure in the letter he sent to customers.
“The truth is, there was a quiet back-door agreement that took place between our landlord . . . and Dom’s,” the letter said. “Those clandestine dealings resulted in the termination of our lease, without Plum Market ever having an option to negotiate or keep our store open.”
Plum Market first opened its Chicago location in 2013 and quickly became a destination for seasonal selections. These grocery stores include peak of season produce, all-natural and sustainably sourced meats and seafood, and chef-crafted prepared dishes made from fresh, all-natural ingredients. Plum Market hopes to land in a new building with 20,000 to 27,000 square feet of space and an “abundant available surface” for parking.
