Foxtrot, a Chicago-based coffee chain and grocery store, shocked Georgetown University students when it announced April 23 that it would close all 33 of its Washington, D.C., Illinois and Texas locations and file for bankruptcy. 

The closest Foxtrot location to campus, on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and N St., sold high-end grocery products and drinks, including salads and baked goods. The establishment served Georgetown students as a popular off-campus study spot since its opening in March 2021. 

While numerous students said that they were upset upon hearing the news of Foxtrot’s sudden closure, others said they would simply find a new coffee shop or grocery store in replacement.

Caroline Saunders (CAS ’26), who frequented Foxtrot for groceries and food, said that she felt Foxtrot’s recent closure came as a disappointment and shock.

“I think that without warning is incredibly upsetting, the fact that they’re closing all 33 locations overnight,” Saunders told The Hoya. “I would’ve gone and bought some more stuff if I had known that they were closing.”

Foxtrot notified employees of their permanent closure and lay-off midday Tuesday, which shocked students who relied on Foxtrot for its convenience. 

Syed Hussain, the attorney filing a lawsuit against Foxtrot for violating the Warren Act, which requires companies to give 60 days notice to employees before any large-scale layoff, said that former Foxtrot employees did not expect the layoff and were entirely unaware. 

“People went into their shift not knowing that they would have to look for a job after they got out of there without having done anything wrong,” Hussain told WUSA9. “No cause, no justification. People were let go and left holding the bag. So, absolutely jarring.”

Maxima Molgat (CAS ’24), a student who said she frequently studied in the coffee shop, said the Wisconsin Avenue location was among her top places to study off campus.

“I am a fan of working in coffee shops and some of my other favorite places to go are Blank Street and Starbucks. But those are almost always completely crowded and there’s nowhere to sit,” Molgat said. 

Kira Agne (MSB ’27), a first-year student who enjoyed grocery shopping at Foxtrot, said that she was deeply surprised by its closure and will miss their wide selection of high-quality groceries available within a walking distance.

“When I got their email this morning announcing their closing, I was shocked. I had no idea that they were having any struggles, and I honestly didn’t think it was real,” Agne wrote to The Hoya. “I was amazed by their selection of quality products and used it as a sporadic grocery shopping spot.”

Agne added that Foxtrot’s bright environment made studying more enjoyable but also made it a good location to catch up with friends.

“I would also go there many weekends to study since I loved the bright environment,” Agne said. “It was also my go-to spot for a quick meet up with someone or a place to just sit and chat.” 

Eleanor Power (SFS ’26) said that the closures reminded her of the recent closure of Outdoor Voices, an activewear brand, that also shut down all their D.C. locations abruptly without notifying employees in advance.

“I was pretty surprised because I felt like it was very sudden and I also drew some similarities between the Outdoor Voices that just closed because they literally emailed their employees two days before and were like, ‘Your shop is closing,’” Power said. 

Power added that she was surprised that Foxtrot’s business plan could not prevent the business’s closure and saw it as more of a shopping destination for a slightly older demographic.

“I feel like their goods aren’t really that special. They’re just really expensive and advertised well. So I was surprised that their high profit margins wouldn’t keep them afloat,” Power said. “I think that in terms of culture, I know that whenever I was there I would see some Georgetown students, but there would just seem to be a lot of millennials there.”

Lauren Amodio (CAS ’26) said she understood the attraction to Foxtrot but thinks that students will quickly find a new location to shop and study.

“I think people are just gonna go to different cafes and, and different little grocery stores. It was definitely cute, but I don’t think it’ll be too missed,” Amodio said.

Power said she was more interested to see what new business would fill Foxtrot’s place as she more so frequented Foxtrot because of its convenient location.

“In terms of just general convenience, I would say I’m sad to see it go,” Power said. “I’m more interested to see what business takes its place like in that building.”