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Ultra Foods Closing At 87th And Kedzie Next Month

By Howard Ludwig | March 23, 2017 6:15am
 Ultra Foods at 3250 W. 87th St. in Ashburn will close
Ultra Foods at 3250 W. 87th St. in Ashburn will close "on or about April 18," according to a sign displayed Wednesday in the window.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

ASHBURN — Ultra Foods at 3250 W. 87th St. will close next month.

A sign posted Wednesday in the window of the discount grocery store on the northwest corner of 87th Street and Kedzie Avenue said it would close "on or about April 18."

Ultra Foods is owned by Highland, Ind.-based Strack and Van Til. The family-owned chain announced the closure of five stores earlier this month, according to a Post-Tribune report.

The Chicago stores slated for closure include Ultra Foods in Ashburn and the Strack and Van Til store at 2627 N. Elston Ave. in Bucktown. The chain also plans to close suburban stores in Lombard and Downers Grove along with its store in Merrillville, Ind.

 A shopper at Ultra Foods in Ashburn pays for her purchases Wednesday. The shelves of the grocery store at 3250 W. 87th St. remained well stocked, despite the store closing next month.
A shopper at Ultra Foods in Ashburn pays for her purchases Wednesday. The shelves of the grocery store at 3250 W. 87th St. remained well stocked, despite the store closing next month.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

Messages left for Derek Kinney, vice president of human resources, were not returned Wednesday. Previously, Kinney said the closings would affect more than 460 employees at the five locations.

He also said Strack and Van Til still would have 32 stores in Indiana and Illinois after the closings. A store manager in Ashburn directed all questions to Kinney.

An employee in Ashburn said she and others were notified of the closure 60 days ahead of what will likely be the final day of operation.

"I hate that it is closing," said Yolanda Carter, who lives near the Ashburn store.

She frequently shopped at Ultra Foods because of its low prices and theorized that Chicago's shopping bag tax may have contributed to management's decision to close the store that sits adjacent to suburban Evergreen Park.

"I really liked that store. No, I loved that store," Carter said.