Yellow Banana Shuts 7 Chicago Save A Lot Stores After 26% SNAP-EBT Drop

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 11

Seven Save A Lot stores run by Yellow Banana closed on Chicago’s South and West Sides on July 25, leaving some neighborhoods with fewer grocery options and stores showing half-empty shelves before shutdown.
A 26% year-over-year decline in SNAP/EBT tender types, tied to reduced SNAP benefits, was cited by Save A Lot as a key financial pressure behind the closures.
Chicago had committed $13.5 million in TIF financing to acquire, rehabilitate and reopen six of the stores under a broader effort to preserve grocery access.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is now arranging transportation help for some affected seniors, while critics argue the closures expose the fragility of subsidy-backed grocery models.
The shutdowns are likely to intensify debate over government-led responses to food deserts, including Chicago’s explored city-run grocery concept and New York City’s planned municipal stores.