Hyde Park Produce grocery store abruptly closed by Illinois Department of Revenue

Hyde Park Produce, a small family-owned grocery store on the South Side, was abruptly forced to close this week.

An orange sign placed on the window of the store, at 1226 E. 53rd St. in the Kimbark Plaza shopping center, alerted customers that it can't sell any items because its certificate of registration has expired.

The Illinois Department of Revenue would not confirm the closure was the result of overdue state taxes, but a spokesperson said, "to be open and operate legally, the business must be in full compliance, or have a department approved payment plan."

The grocery store has struggled in recent years, particularly following an electrical fire in April 2024, which forced the business to shut down for several weeks.

Even after Hyde Park Produce reopened in late May 2024, owner Larry Damico had a hard time coming back to full service and paying his employees, and shelves were often not fully stocked.

Community members, concerned over slim pickings of essentials like eggs and bread, rallied around the store and started a GoFundMe in December 2024, ultimately raising nearly $63,000 for the grocery.

But even with that support, the store has continued to struggle to keep its shelves fully stocked. Its frozen food section has often been nearly empty, its meat coolers and deli counter have often had limited selections compared to before the fire, and other shelves have often been half-empty.

With the closure of the store, the only full-service grocery options in Hyde Park are a Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's, or a nearby small-format Target, which has a more limited selection compared to traditional groceries.

The video above is from a previous report.