We are at a tipping point where Andersonville’s small businesses could soon be replaced by ubiquitous chains. Since Time Out Magazine named it “The Coolest Neighborhood in the US”, multiple regional and national chains have poached prime retail space in Andersonville, taking away opportunities for local small businesses and threatening its prized charm. We want to prevent chains from taking over in order to protect the economic vitality of Andersonville, its diverse locally-owned businesses, and unique character. 

Foxtrot, a digital-first corporate “corner store” backed by $185 million dollars in venture capital funding is the latest in a list of chains actively looking to add an Andersonville location. The company currently operates 30 stores and has an aggressive expansion plan to open another 50 in the next few years. Foxtrot offers nothing that the neighborhood’s businesses don’t already provide. This directly threatens our locally owned business community offering coffee, liquor, grocery, convenience and food service.

Chains backed by millions of dollars in venture capital are able to operate at a substantial loss while occupying valuable retail spaces indefinitely as marketing shells. This increases rents for the surrounding areas and makes it harder for existing small businesses to survive. 

Andersonville has long been a safe space for diversity, a characteristic that is deeply embedded in the unique blend of independently owned businesses, from the local bookstores, boutiques and corner stores, to the coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants and bars. Many of the businesses are female, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ owned, resulting in a more colorful, culture-rich environment that reflects the neighborhood itself.

We are at capacity for chains and in danger of deteriorating the neighborhood’s identity into an outdoor strip mall. A Civic Economics study done in Andersonville found that “replacement of local businesses with chains will reduce the overall vigor of the local economy.” Local merchants generate substantially greater economic impact than chains. For every $100 in consumer spending, $68 remains in the Chicago economy when spent with a local firm, versus $43 spent at a chain.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, Senator Mike Simmons, State Representative Kelly Cassidy, Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, and Alderman Andre Vasquez, we ask that you suspend all licenses/permits for Foxtrot and other chain stores until a community-driven solution to this issue is found. We, the undersigned, want a policy that regulates the percentage of chain (or “formula”) stores/businesses in Andersonville, a designated National Historic Commercial District, between Ainslie Street and Victoria Street on Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois. We strive to protect the interests of the community, maintain the integrity of the neighborhood and prevent deleterious impact.