Foxtrot Market, an upscale convenience store retailer based in Chicago, opened the first of two Washington, DC locations on March 1. All told, Foxtrot now has 11 stores with the debut of its first DC unit in Georgetown (1267 Wisconsin Avenue NW). The company plans to open another District store on March 22 in the Mount Vernon Triangle (650 Massachusetts Avenue NW).
The company was founded in 2014 by then-University of Chicago business student Mike LaVitola as a delivery-only entity. It added its first physical store several months later and has grown steadily in the Windy City over the past six years. In 2019, Foxtrot opened its first of two stores in Dallas.
“Our DC openings are the culmination of several years exploring neighborhoods, meeting with local makers, and tasting all the best this amazing city has to offer,” said LaVitola. “We’re looking forward to introducing our unique blend of curation and convenience to Washingtonians.”
Both new DC stores will feature outdoor patio areas, a coffee bar, an extensive selection of beer and wine curated by Foxtrot’s in-house sommelier and an all-day café offering seasonal chef-prepared foods.
Foxtrot will feature local brands including Ice Cream Jubilee, Vigilante Coffee, Mason Dixie, Pluma by Bluebird Bakery and ANXO Cider.
Since its founding, Foxtrot’s goal has been to combine an upscale corner store and café with app-based purchasing that makes its entire inventory available for delivery in under an hour.
Foxtrot derives its revenue equally between online sales and in-store purchases. The brand’s delivery model has been central to its customer service strategy since inception, making Foxtrot uniquely positioned for strength during the pandemic. In 2020, company sales increased by more than 100 percent fueled by consistent year-over-year growth across channels. Of that growth, 55 percent derives from retail, largely from same-stores sales, and over 200 percent from ecommerce, driven by a 100 percent increase in app downloads. The stores are approximately 2,500 to 3,500 square feet in size and are located in upscale urban neighborhoods.
In February, the retailer closed a $42 million “Series B” funding round, led by private equity firms Almanac Insights and Monogram Capital Partners. Additional investors include celebrity chef and restaurateur David Chang, sweetgreen co-founder and CCO Nicolas Jammet and former CEO of Whole Foods Walter Robb.
With this investment, Foxtrot said it expects to double its store count by the end of 2021. This growth will include adding as many as nine more stores in Chicago and Dallas as well as the new Washington, DC units.
The capital infusion will also be used to expand its line of private label packaged goods and gift offerings, and to continue the investment into nationwide shipping which launched in January. By accelerating its ecommerce capabilities and offering nationwide shipping on items like chef-driven packaged products, private label and exclusive-to-Foxtrot goods and wine, the upstart retailer believes it will further enhance its image.
Additionally, Foxtrot has made three new appointments to its executive team: Sumi Ghosh, COO; Scott Holloway, senior VP-delivery; and Caroline Barry, VP-strategy.
“With this new round of funding and an incredibly strong executive team now fully in place, we see 2021 as a year of tremendous growth for Foxtrot,” said LaVitola. “We have built a business that marries the local approach of a corner store with the convenience of ecommerce. We know how our stores operate best and in which markets, which is where we’ll be going deep with our expansion efforts next. We also look forward to showcasing to customers coast-to-coast what Foxtrot is all about as we continue to rollout shipping nationwide.”
