Business & Tech

Farmer's Marketplace Appears to Be Closed

The store was located on Center Street in Grayslake.

The Farmer's Marketplace grocery store on Center Street in Grayslake appears to have closed its doors due to an apparent dispute with their distributor.

Residents are reporting on the Grayslake Patch Facebook page that the store is closed and that Lake County Sheriff's Office squad cars have been parked outside. 

Karen Christian-Smith, executive director of the Grayslake Area Chamber of Commerce, said the store closed Nov. 27. 

Christian-Smith said Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies went to the store "and told everyone to leave the store." 

The store's website is also down, with a message that states, "The site is down for maintenance. Please check back again soon."

Farmer's Marketplace Owner Vicky Kouantas told Patch earlier this week that she was debating whether to find a new supplier because it appeared to her that Piggly Wiggly, the privately-owned store's distributor, had pulled their promotional support. Kouantas also noted that customers had been asking her why the shelves were so bare.

Piggly Wiggly officials did not respond to a request for comments earlier this week.

"I feel bad for the residents of Grayslake," Christian-Smith said of the store's closure. "It's a big loss."


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