Trader Joe’s Eyes Former Vegan Food Hall in Uptown Chicago

Recent filings indicate that Trader Joe’s is planning to bring commercial life to an Uptown retail site that’s been a graveyard for food businesses lately.

The Southern California-based retail chain has applied for a package-goods liquor license at 804 West Montrose Avenue, Block Club Chicago reported.

An X account, @minc798, first reported the news of Trader Joe’s application for a liquor license.

The space has been vacant since November, when vegan food hall XMarket closed after a run of just more than a year. Two successive plant-based grocery stores preceded XMarket, going back to 2021.

Trader Joe’s has not confirmed any plans for an Uptown store, telling Block Club the chain is always on the lookout for potential locations and has been eyeing Chicago, specifically, for new opportunities.

The chain has six stores in Chicago, ranging from Roscoe Village to Hyde Park, and a dozen or so more in the suburbs.

The application for a liquor license suggests more than a passing interest in the Uptown location, and a Trader Joe’s could provide a boost to the area’s retail scene beyond the 6,500-square-foot space, providing an amenity for residents and stirring commerce on Montrose Avenue.

Indeed, residents of various neighborhoods on the Far North Side have publicly pined for a Trader Joe’s, which appeared set for a store in nearby Andersonville before the deal fell through two years ago.

Residents and business interests in West Ridge tried to sell Trader Joe’s on a location on Western Avenue, a pitch that came in the early days of the pandemic. Trader Joe’s passed on the location, which eventually landed Starbucks as an anchor for a new development.Trader Joe’s is known for its eponymous private-label foods, as well as quirky marketing and relatively low prices, given its foodie sensibilities. It operates coast-to-coast, with locations in 42 states.