As reported yesterday, a group representing Whole Foods has now closed on the former Blue Goose property, adding finality to the end of an era in St. Charles.
We asked Blue Goose owner Paul Lencioni, St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek and Alderman David Pietryla to give us their thoughts as this chapter in St. Charles history comes to a close.
Paul Lencioni:
“I was first in contact with the brokers for Whole Foods around April of last year. I had 3 offers within a month of closing but I thought Whole Foods was the best opportunity for St. Charles to have a great grocer in downtown for the next 20 years plus. It was the most challenging deal but I thought it was worth the risk. The broker Matt Hendy and I had a similar vision and we worked hard to make it happen. It was no easy path, though.
“I can’t speak for Whole Foods. The one think I can say is that St. Charles needs to be patient with them. It will take them some time to get up and running. They are incredible operators and a great brand but they are big and it will take them some time to get up and running. I understand it will be over a year.
“Next for me, my wife has asked me to run her business. She is a local therapist. We are going to look to grow and do more with her practice. I am doing some consulting and coaching already through her practice. However, I am going to take the rest of July to wrap up the admin of Blue Goose and Lencioni Family Partnership who owned the property, and I’m taking a trip to see my cousin in Washington State.
“Closing these companies, selling the property, doing my best to settle the outstanding matters, and having to keep all of this in confidence has been a difficult challenge. I could use a break.”
Mayor Lora Vitek:
“I am so excited that Whole Foods is coming to St. Charles in the former Blue Goose Market location. Not only is filling the space with a premium grocer a need in our downtown, it is the number one request we have heard from the community since the Blue Goose closed.
“St. Charles continues to be a place where people and businesses want to be. We have commercial, retail, and residential development happening all over the city. I look forward to seeing this project get underway and am so happy to welcome Whole Foods to St. Charles.”
Alderman David Pietryla:
“I’m very excited about the recent agreement that ensures St. Charles will once again have a downtown grocery store.
“Whole Foods will no doubt attract new visitors, enhance our downtown, and improve the overall quality of life for our residents.”
Whole Foods, a subsidiary of Amazon, bills itself as “the world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with 500+ stores in North America and the UK.” From its humble beginnings in Austin, Texas in 1980, the chain has successfully tapped into the changing food tastes and shopping habits of younger, more affluent Americans nationwide – a key demographic that Blue Goose struggled to capture.
Ever since the August, 2002, closing of the iconic grocery story – after 94 years in business – speculation has run rampant as to what would replace it. City officials have frequently expressed a desire for another grocery store at the location, citing the need for a robust market in downtown St. Charles and the changing demographics of the area.
Lencioni’s great grandmother Annunciata — known as Nancy — opened the Blue Goose Fruit Store in the 200 block of St. Charles’ West Main St. in 1928. It survived the Great Depression and food rationing in World War II, expanding to include a meat market in 1946.
In 1995 it undertook at $2.3 million renovation project, which included adding a bakery.
The store struggled in recent years, however, likely due to changing demographics and technological change. The crucial demo of younger shoppers remained elusive due to stiffer competition and changing shopping habits, leading to its demise in 2022.
