spinynorman99 wrote:

The GP wrote:I frequently did my Thanksgiving shopping at Treasure Island as they carried HoKa turkeys and all the little things that go into the feast. I was looking forward to them opening at Montrose and Clarendon which is closer to my home. Not sure what will go into that location now.

Gene's in Lincoln Square (not that far) sells HoKa before Thanksgiving.

Good to know. At TI, I could get everything else and be satisfied with the quality.

spinynorman99 wrote:

The GP wrote:I frequently did my Thanksgiving shopping at Treasure Island as they carried HoKa turkeys and all the little things that go into the feast. I was looking forward to them opening at Montrose and Clarendon which is closer to my home. Not sure what will go into that location now.

Gene's in Lincoln Square (not that far) sells HoKa before Thanksgiving.

My friends at Rustic Road Farms are also taking orders for America’s bird. So if you want to know your bird was well- treated you can contact them now.

I didn’t see the post about the amount off before I went.

I ended up going after leaving court. I went 1st to Hyde Park. It was insanity. I don’t like shopping much anyhow and this was everything I loathe.

I left.

Headed home and GPS has me drive by North & Wells and wow what a difference.

Easy to park but no carts at the door. I walked in and headed to produce, no sale signage(I saw some in HP) and walked to meat also no signage.

A woman was telling a butcher how much she was going to miss him.

He told me how the discount worked. Basically 10% off perishables and 20% else off of everything else.

I just got brioche buns, veggie dogs, some Bob’s Red Mill specialty flours (all KA flour was gone except WW), crackers, organic rice, & some chocolate.

It was actually all very sad.
https://instagram.com/p/BoZefTyn5Aw/

The GP wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

The GP wrote:I frequently did my Thanksgiving shopping at Treasure Island as they carried HoKa turkeys and all the little things that go into the feast. I was looking forward to them opening at Montrose and Clarendon which is closer to my home. Not sure what will go into that location now.

Gene's in Lincoln Square (not that far) sells HoKa before Thanksgiving.

Good to know. At TI, I could get everything else and be satisfied with the quality.

As does Fresh Farms, if that's within your range.

stevez wrote:As does Fresh Farms, if that's within your range.

Another example of how the student becomes the master. Fresh Farms has the relative breadth of product offerings that used to make TI unique.

I loved that I could get rather specific, fancy, and Euro items there, but I could never do all of my shopping there. Their prices for the same items found at Mariano's were crazy higher. TP, milk, standard produce, etc.

Hi- I went to the Wilmette store this afternoon, and ended up not getting anything. They had 10% off perishable and 20% off nonperishable stuff, even though the sign posted in the front window said everything was 20%-40% off. Most of the customers there were actually buying things, but I did not see any carts that were loaded, like I saw when Dominick's went out of business. Dominick's started out at 50% off though. They had lots of produce left, but at only 10% off none of it was a deal. They were out of the KA WW flour and the Bob's soy flour I wanted to get. Their original prices on everything were crazy high, and so even at 20% off it was no deal. I ended up going to the Jewel on Green Bay instead, and spent $28 there.

BTW- One of the employees at TI told me why the chain had to close. He said that the store was doing ok until somebody new came in a few years ago, and took over the chain. He decided to shift the store away from its European feel, and turn it into another Mariano's. He said combined sales for all of the 6 stores were $30,000 to $40,000 less per week after he made the switch. I might go back next week to see if there are any additional mark downs to tempt me, but by then it will probably be slim pickings. They still had the salad bar up today for $6.99 minus the 10% off. I would wait another week when they mark the stuff down again, and see if there are any bargains. Hope this helps, Nancy

You just have to look all around -- and take note -- to understand why they're closing. There's no single reason for it, or sole mistake, or lone poor decision that, if not made, would have changed the outcome. One left turn in a the middle of a tempest isn't going to save a row boat.

As Bob once sang, the times, they are a-changin'.

=R=

Produce wholesaler sues Treasure Island Foods, alleges $453K in unpaid fruits and veggies

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html

ronnie_suburban wrote:You just have to look all around -- and take note -- to understand why they're closing. There's no single reason for it, or sole mistake, or lone poor decision that, if not made, would have changed the outcome. One left turn in a the middle of a tempest isn't going to save a row boat.

As Bob once sang, the times, they are a-changin'.

=R=

The man at the deli counter told me that Treasure Island was closing. In the space of an hour I experienced nearly all of psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ stages of grief — denial, anger, the need to bargain (but with whom?) and then depression.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opin ... story.html

stevez wrote:

riddlemay wrote:The article mentions that the "Gold Coast location" has undergone an extensive remodel. Do they mean the one at Clark and Elm? (Which is kind of Gold Coast, I guess, if you extend the commonly understood boundaries.) Or do they mean the one on Wells? (Which is also kind of Gold Coast, I guess, if you extend the commonly understood boundaries.)

I wish articles like this weren't so averse to providing actual locations. Clearly, they're afraid that if they do, they'll break down the barrier between news and promotion, but I think they're worrying excessively.

They probably mean the one in the Gold Coast at 680 LSD. I thought it was pretty clear.

This explains the conversation I overheard. People were saying that with the closure of "their" TI they'd be in a food desert. I couldn't figure out which branch they meant, but it must have been this one on LSD that I didn't even realize existed.

Chatter among the Hyde Parkers is that at 10-20% off that sort of brings them in line with the prices at other stores. I tried to stop by yesterday, for "the show" as much as for anything else, and didn't bother to wade through the crowds, the gain didn't seem worth the effort at that discount level.

I just remember the "old" Treasure Island from when I moved to Chicago in the early 1980's, and it was indeed then a very special place. Now, it just seems behind the times and overpriced.

chicagojim wrote:I just remember the "old" Treasure Island from when I moved to Chicago in the early 1980's, and it was indeed then a very special place. Now, it just seems behind the times and overpriced.

There was a time when kiwi fruit, starfruit and even clementines were exotic and unavailable in conventional groceries or even fruit markets; ditto berries and citrus in the off-season. You could always rely on TI to have the one or two ingredients that weren't easy to locate. And we paid a premium and thanked them for the opportunity to do so.

spinynorman99 wrote:It's not that simple. The chain has been dying a slow death for years. The things that made TI stand out in the past (25-35 years ago) have become the norm in mainstream supermarkets. Mariano's has probably done more damage than Amazon or Blue Apron.

I agree. I shopped at the Hyde Park location. Whole Foods opened a store 4 blocks down the street 2 years ago and there's Mariano's at 39th & King Drive that took business away from them.
The stuff I shopped for at TI you can't get on Amazon.

NFriday wrote:One of the employees at TI told me why the chain had to close. He said that the store was doing ok until somebody new came in a few years ago, and took over the chain. He decided to shift the store away from its European feel, and turn it into another Mariano's.

I remember that change. They stopped having the honey-soaked Greek cookies in their bake shop then. The selection of beans and nuts changed too. It felt like they got rid of many of the things I used to buy there that I couldn't get elsewhere.

Treasure Island Foods has had a history of drama. One round was about 1990 when a one/third owner, Bill Allen, was accused of embezzling at least $1.9 million to support his investment in the Gold Star Sardine Bar. There were all sorts of charges and counter charges. Allen was considered by some as the marketing genius. The financial damage likely contributed to closing stores on Broadway in Edgewater and Lincoln Village.

Another round came with the strike in 2004. By this time Maria Kamberos, the much younger second wife of Christ Kamberos, had an active management role. Reader story: The Battle for Treasure Island The union's boycotting the store and employees are boycotting the union. At least the Clybourn store never seemed the same to me after that episode.

Then there was the family feud following the death of Christ Kamberos in October, 2009.

Crain's Chicago Business reported today about allegations of unpaid bills and improper actions by CEO Maria Kamberos and her son, President Christ Kamberos Jr.

At the same time, a local Chicago company has assumed control of the troubled grocer’s assets and is searching for buyers.
Treasure Island’s assets have been turned over to High Ridge Partners, a financial-distress management firm in Chicago, according to Christ Kamberos’ lawyer. High Ridge immediately began marketing the properties after taking control Sept. 21, a week before the closures were announced, according to a letter to Crain’s written by Arthur Stamas, a Chicago lawyer who returned a call left for Christ Kamberos.

I do not know what new guy took it over a few years ago as Maria Kamberos has been CEO for some time. It may refer to Christ Kamberos, Jr., now president. The family feud story said that Maria married Christ Kamberos in 1986, which may provide a hint as to the age of junior.

As Treasure Island closes, accusations of unpaid bills and improper actions fly
A local financial-distress management firm has assumed control of the troubled grocer’s assets and is searching for buyers. Employees describe a chaotic winding-down process.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/consume ... ctions-fly

Google the text to get behind Crain's paywall.

Crain's: As Treasure Island closes, accusations of unpaid bills and improper actions fly

In the meantime, at least one food supplier has already sued Treasure Island for failing to pay for inventory.

In a lawsuit filed Oct. 1 in federal court in Chicago, produce wholesaler Anthony Marano Co. accuses Treasure Island of failing to pay for more than $453,000 worth of fresh produce since July 1.

The suit names Treasure Island Foods, the Kamberoses and Magazi, a separate entity controlled by Maria Kamberos that operates the Treasure Island in Wilmette. Calls to the wholesaler and its lawyer, Robert Marcus of Maksimovich & Associates in Lyons, were not returned.

Subject: Newest Joe Caputo's Store -- Arlington Heights

sundevilpeg wrote:This is some pretty serious stuff, from the end of the Trib piece:

The lawsuit also said there were other unpaid vendors in addition to Marano.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan ordered Joe Caputo & Sons to turn over a full accounting of the company's liabilities and assets to Marano's attorney if the debt isn't paid within seven days.

The judge's order also gave Marano the power to manage the "continued operation and/or liquidation" of Caputo & Sons stores in Des Plaines, Palatine, Algonquin, Northbrook, Arlington Heights and Elk Grove until the debt is paid in full.

So, Marano apparently can take over the remaining Caputo stores in Des Plaines, Palatine, and Algonquin, and run them until the debt is paid off. Whoa.

"Google the text to get behind Crain's paywall. "

Or use Firefox browser and toggle (F9) to "reader view"

I read the article at Crain's, and it is strange because according to the article deliveries have not been made to any of the stores for three weeks, but when I was at the Wilmette store on Monday, they had lots of produce and bread available. They even had their salad bar set up. I saw a gentleman getting stuff from the salad bar, and I saw several people purchasing stuff from the produce section as well as the bread section. They also had their deli stocked.

They said they had to close the stores early on Monday to straighten up the shelves because customers made a mess of things. I thought the customers at the Wilmette store were well behaved. I went to Dominick's the first day they had their going out of business store, where everything was 50% off, and it was a zoo there. It took me 30 minutes just to check out. People were putting frozen items in their cart and then changing their mind, and just leaving them wherever because they were too lazy to take them back to the freezer. I am sure Dominick's threw away a lot of frozen stuff.

ekreider wrote:Treasure Island Foods has had a history of drama.

More drama, per chicagotribune.com . . .

at chicagotribune.com, Greg Trotter wrote:Treasure Island Foods, the longtime Chicago grocery chain that announced it was closing stores by Oct. 12, is now being sued by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union for allegedly violating a federal law that governs layoff notices.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago on Thursday on behalf of the union’s Local 1546, alleges that Treasure Island violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act because all employees will be laid off less than 60 days after they received written notice “on or about” Sept. 26, according to the complaint. Under the law, employers can’t order a “plant closing or mass layoff” until the end of a 60-day period after serving written notice to employees.

Union sues Treasure Island Foods, alleges closing grocer failed to give enough notice before layoffs

=R=

Sorry to hear this. There is no TI close enough to where I live now to be visited regularly, but I grew up in Wilmette, where it was just a few blocks away and was our regular family grocery store. Started as a Sure Save, then got bought by a Greek family and became Magazi, then morphed into Treasure Island -- and that was it as long as I lived there. So even though this won't have an impact on my life, it does make me sad, as another part of my past vanishes. (Plus, of course, the general sadness of seeing any business fail, because of the lives it does touch.)

I thought that TI employees did not belong to the union anymore, and plus even if they gave them 60 days notice, what good would it do if they did not have the money to pay them or keep the store open? Has anybody been to the Wilmette store in the last few days? I wonder if the stuff has been marked down some more.

I've lived near the one on Broadway for 25+ years, and I was always curious how they managed to stay in business. The parking lot rarely had more than a couple dozen cars in it, and you felt as if you were walking through a bit of a ghost town when shopping there. Normally ~3 lanes would be open and a line of more than 3 people was highly unusual. You might see about 2 shoppers per aisle, or 5 or 6 in the produce section, but anything more than that was rare except on New Year's Eve, Super Bowl Sunday and other events that send people rushing to the store.

Compare that to the Jewel that's been TI's major local competition the entire time I've lived in the neighborhood and it was hard to understand how they had enough sales revenue to justify store operations. I eventually stopped buying anything perishable there because I was concerned about freshness.

From the sound of the articles, it sounds as if the Broadway location was possibly the "head office" so perhaps that explains why it stayed open with seemingly so little business.

Corporate offices on Broadway = http://tifoods.com/locations/

Hi- I was at the Wilmette TI today. I got there at 5:55, and I found they closed at 6:00, even though they are supposed to be open until 7:00. Everything is 60% off, but it was really picked over. There was a small amount of produce. The only thing I saw worth getting was in the frozen department. I got three frozen lean cuisine dinners for $1.12 each. If I knew they were that cheap I would have got more, but I don't have a large freezer anyway. They also had some Edy's ice cream, and lots of other LC and some Healthy Choice and some Tabernick frozen soup which I love. They also had some tortilla chips left and some 2 liters of pop. They had some kcups left too. All of the stuff they had left on the shelves was pushed to the front of the isles, and there was nothing in the back of the store. They only had two registers open. The cashier told me that Friday is going to be the last day. Hope this helps, Nancy

Treasure Island workers protest loss of wages, health benefits
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html

NFriday wrote:I thought that TI employees did not belong to the union anymore, and plus even if they gave them 60 days notice, what good would it do if they did not have the money to pay them or keep the store open?

It may not do any good except for getting them a better spot in line with other creditors in bankruptcy court. This is a federal/state law that has nothing to do with unionization, as far as I can tell. The Tribune article, though, says that the company may be exempt from the law under certain circumstances, it's not clear if they apply here or not: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html

Treasure Island Foods stores shut down ahead of schedule
https://trib.in/2yrSe9q

NFriday wrote:I read somewhere that they were done in by Amazon taking over Whole Foods and all of the delivery services and meal services such as Blue Apron.

Do you remember what it was about Amazon's takeover of WF that put the nail in TI's coffin? It seemed to me TI was doomed by the expansions of WF and Mariano's before Amazon came into the picture. Wherever you read this must have had a good reason for the assertion; I'm just curious to know what that reason was.

riddlemay wrote:

NFriday wrote:I read somewhere that they were done in by Amazon taking over Whole Foods and all of the delivery services and meal services such as Blue Apron.

Do you remember what it was about Amazon's takeover of WF that put the nail in TI's coffin? It seemed to me TI was doomed by the expansions of WF and Mariano's before Amazon came into the picture. Wherever you read this must have had a good reason for the assertion; I'm just curious to know what that reason was.

Blaming Whole Foods is a canard. It had little, if anything, to do with the demise of TI. Read the rest of the thread for details.