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Chicago's long-standing family food chain, Treasure Island Foods, last week informed its employees that it will definitively close its remaining six stores next month.
"As you recently discovered, we made the very difficult decision to end operations as a company," said Maria Kamberos, CEO and President of Treasure Island, in a note sent to workers Wednesday.
"We are sorry that this has come to an end and we know how damaging it is for each of you and your families. We have done everything in our power to try to convince the company to try to operate for another 55 years, "Kamberos said in the note, which was broadcast on social media. "Unfortunately, given the current conditions of the sector, it has been impossible for us to continue operating without losing money."
Managers at several Treasure Island sites sent questions to company executives, who did not respond to requests for comments on Saturday.
A representative of the Streeterville site said the chain would close on Oct. 12, according to the University of Chicago's student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, which reported the impending closure of Treasure Island. The prices of the remaining stocks at the Hyde Park site were to be halved.
In addition to Streeterville and Hyde Park stores, Treasure Island has anchor locations in Lake View, Gold Coast, Old Town and Wilmette. Their operation of Lincoln Park ceased operations earlier this month, and the company apparently had recently retired from a planned location during a development in the city center.
The founder Christ Kamberos was born in West Side of Greek immigrants and his father sold products from a cart, sparking an interest in groceries that never declined, according to a Chicago Sun-Times obituary.
Christ Kamberos opened the first Treasure Island Foods store on Broadway near Cornelia with his brothers in 1963, reinforcing the chain's reputation by traveling the world to bring unusual organic products to Chicago.
The Sun-Times obituary indicated that legendary chef Julia Child had already called her family's store "the most European supermarket in the United States."
Kamberos is remembered as a curious innovator, always looking for the next big thing in food, even if he did not always succeed. Organic products were not a success when he introduced it in the 1970s.
"We were ready, but people were not," said Vice President of Chain Operations Lee Zarras in 2009. Organic products "do not look as good as traditional products. . "
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