Englewood Whole Foods Closes Sunday, What’s Next?

CHICAGO — In an area already considered a food desert, a grocery story on the city’s South Side is set to close Sunday.

The Whole Foods supermarket in Englewood is one of two grocery chains serving the neighborhood, and once it’s gone, Aldi’s on West 63rd Street will be the only grocer in the area.

The store opened its doors back in 2016 with the promise of jobs and healthy food for the people who live there. Now that its closure is imminent, many believe that the closure of the business is a great loss to society.

“I’m going to miss it, it was my little lunch spot,” said Lee Wilson, a buyer at Whole Foods in Englewood. “I used to come here for lunch every day.”

If Englewood residents want to shop at a supermarket or full-service grocery store other than Aldi’s, they’ll have to go to the Jewel Osco in Woodlawn or the Walmart and Jewel Osco near Princeton Park.

“A lot of people don’t have cars to get to Ashland,” said Tina Lawson, a local resident who doesn’t shop at Whole Foods. “They have to take the bus and then come home with groceries on the bus, it’s too much.”

While it’s currently unclear what will be done with the building after Whole Foods leaves, residents still want another full-service grocer to come in and bridge the gap to make up for the losses.

“We need a Trader Joe’s here, we need a Trader Joe’s in the area,” said Juanita Wilson, a buyer at Whole Foods.

“Yes, the value [Osco] or Food 4 Less, something smart where everyone can shop and eat,” Lawson said.