Dom’s Kitchen & Market and Foxtrot are both confronting class action lawsuits due to abrupt layoffs at their specialty grocery stores

Following the abrupt closure of their stores, Dom’s Kitchen & Market and Foxtrot find themselves embroiled in a class action lawsuit. Filed on Wednesday in the Northern District of Illinois, the complaint alleges violations of both state and federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Acts. These laws mandate that employers with a certain number of employees must provide adequate notice before mass layoffs or closures.

Jamil Moore, a former employee of Foxtrot and the plaintiff in the case, discovered his termination mid-shift on Tuesday, without prior notice. Moore’s attorney, Syed Hussain of Haseeb Legal in Chicago, anticipates a lengthy discovery process to determine the extent of affected employees eligible for the class action.

The complaint suggests that around 1,000 employees could be part of the lawsuit, pending court certification. However, Hussain notes that it may take more than a year before the case proceeds to trial.

Outfox Hospitality, the parent company of Dom’s Kitchen and Foxtrot, has yet to comment on the matter. The closures were announced suddenly on Tuesday morning, affecting all locations in Chicago and beyond.

Dom’s Kitchen operated two sites in Chicago, while Foxtrot had 15 locations in addition to stores in Dallas, Austin, and Washington, D.C. The merger between the two companies, forming Outfox Hospitality, was announced last year with promises of enhanced customer experiences and shared services.

The timing of the closures raises questions about the financial health of Outfox Hospitality and its subsidiaries, though bankruptcy status remains uncertain.

Many employees, like Rebecca Haller from Foxtrot’s Wrigley Field store, were caught off guard by the announcement, learning about it from company emails or co-workers on the day of closure.