CHICAGO — High-end grocer Fox & Obel reopened Thursday, three days after being shut down for health code violations.
The Streeterville store closed Monday, after a possible case of food poisoning prompted an investigation earlier in July.
Investigators found more than 200 live fruit flies on the walls, ceiling and equipment. There were also about 30 live cockroaches near cooking equipment and in the bakery, the report said.
Fox & Obel, 401 E. Illinois St., reopened at 1 p.m. Thursday, a store employee said, and would be open until 10 p.m.
Regular store hours would resume Friday, she said.
After Fox & Obel reopened Thursday, customers could be seen entering and exiting the store, with a few openly proclaiming their loyalty to it despite the reported bugs.
Many customers hadn't heard about the inspection problems.
"I can deal with the fruit flies, but cockroaches are another issue," said Frankie Rayder, a 37-year-old woman who works and lives in Streeterville. Rayder noted that her office building nearby had fruit fly issues, suggesting that was a problem with the neighborhood, not the store.
After being told that Fox & Obel had these issues, Rayder left to do her shopping elsewhere without going into the store.
Antoine Fletcher, a 27-year-old Alabama man visiting his brother in town, said there were no signs of health violations when he entered the store, but voiced misgivings upon learning the report.
"Weren't they supposed to tell us?" Fletcher said. "I don't want flies coming at me."
