New grocery store concept Dom's Kitchen and Market opens in Lincoln Park
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A new kind of grocery store called Dom's Kitchen and Market opened in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood Tuesday.
Dom's Kitchen & Market at Diversey Parkway and Halsted Street is coming from the founder of Mariano's, but don't expect a traditional grocery store.
At more than 17,000 square feet, Dom's is about one-third the size of a traditional grocery store. A significant portion is dedicated to prepared foods and spots to eat, drink or attend a wine tasting or cooking demonstration.
Bob Mariano, former CEO of Roundy's supermarket chain, is now serving as the co-CEO of this new hybrid restaurant and grocery store venture.
"It's a place where you can come as family, as friends and get together and enjoy a great meal here, take it home, prepare it yourself, whichever you wanna do, we are ready to serve you," Mariano said.
Dom's will focus on specialty items and the store will cater to, "busy consumers who want the option to cook at home, take out prepared foods, or eat on-site."
Customers will be able to find some fresh produce and meat departments along with bakery with goods from local brands.
"Molly's cupcakes, la Fournette, Labriola and Stan's Donuts, Eli's Cheesecake, so the bakery is loaded with local brands," said Don Fitzgerald, co-CEO of Dom's Kitchen and Market.
It's been a difficult time for the hospitality and restaurant industry, but Dom's, born during a pandemic, is finding a nook by catering to customers who are tired of online and traditional in-store grocery shopping.
"I think coming out of that consumers... they wanna interact with others they want to be out in the open and connect," said Jay Owen, co-founder and co-chairman of Dom's Kitchen and Market.
Dom's put 160 people to work, offering them room to move up in a venture that has plans to grow. New customer Brendan Moran says the store is a ray of sunshine.
"I think it's going to be a beacon of this part of town right here on the corner of Diversey and Halsted that is going to draw a lot of people to spend more time in this part of Lincoln Park and Lakeview," Moran said.
The team is working on plans to open two additional locations.
