Yellow Banana, the owner and operator of eight Save A Lot locations in the Chicagoland area, has announced the receipt of a $13.5 million Community Development Grant from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city of Chicago.
The grant will enable Yellow Banana to invest in upgrades to its Chicago stores, as well as to reopen a location in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood that closed in 2020. Combined with other financing and funding from Yellow Banana, it will bring approximately $26 million in investment into six locations in underserved communities throughout the city’s South and West Sides.
The capital investments will be used to purchase the underlying real estate for six of the seven locations in Chicago, as well as to complete full internal and external remodels, including new flooring, lighting, HVAC, dairy and meat cases, interior and exterior painting, new décor and signage.
Remodels will begin this fall with plans for completion, as well as the reopening of the Auburn-Gresham Save A Lot at 7908 S. Halsted, by the end of the year.
The announcement furthers Yellow Banana’s efforts to partner with major U.S. cities in addressing food deserts and healthy food access in underserved communities.
“We are thrilled about the city of Chicago’s investment in the passionate team at Yellow Banana and the Save A Lot stores they own throughout the city’s South and West Sides,” said Leon Bergmann, Save A Lot CEO.
“Quality brands at affordable prices are at the heart of Save A Lot’s identity, and we are honored to be able to provide that to Chicagoans in underserved communities through our retail partners at Yellow Banana. We’re confident in their ability to maximize the success of their stores by serving the Chicago community and giving these stores, and their customers, the attention and enhancements they deserve.”
Yellow Banana is a retail grocery platform that operates 38 stores under the Save A Lot banner across the Cleveland; Chicago; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Jacksonville, Florida; and Dallas metropolitan areas.
For more information, visit yellow-banana.com.
