- Credibility:
LINCOLN PARK — A new chain of small-footprint grocery stores by Bob Mariano, founder of Mariano’s grocery stores, is coming to Chicago, and the first one is planned to open in Lincoln Park next March.
Dom’s Market and Kitchen will be a neighborhood grocery store prioritizing “convenience, experiential retail and digitization” for busy customers, according to a press release announcing the new venture. The store’s address has yet to be announced.
The store will offer groceries for at-home cooking, as well as prepared meals for takeout or on-site dining. Pickup and delivery services will be available.
“We will not be conventional in any way,” Mariano said in an emailed statement.
The startup will be funded by a $10 million investment from Valor Siren Ventures, Cleveland Avenue and Molto Capital, according to the announcement.
Mariano will be the chain’s CEO, while Jay Owen — grandson of Dominick’s founder Dominick DiMatteo — will be chairman. Don Fitzgerald, a former executive at Dominick’s and Mariano’s, is the new venture’s president.
“Dom’s will be a neighborhood destination where consumers can drop in several times per week, explore new foods, watch the cooking process in open preparation areas, participate in a wine tasting class, dine in, or take home prepared foods or cooking ingredients,” Owen said in a statement.
Mariano said Lincoln Park “is an ideal place to start” because “the density and demographics are well-suited to our focus.”
Once the store is fully operational, Mariano plans to open additional Dom’s Market and Kitchen stores throughout Chicago, focusing on urban neighborhood communities.
Jake Wittich is a Report for America corps member covering Lakeview, Boystown and Lincoln Park for Block Club Chicago.
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