Grocery Comeback

Greenville Avenue healthy grocer stages cunning comeback

Green Grocer is back with a new name and a new plan.

Green Grocer/Facebook

Fans of Green Grocer on Greenville Avenue can turn that frown upside down, as the little market that could is staging an unusual comeback by staying open as a mini-version of itself.

The new concept is called GG Micro Market, and it will have limited hours and a smaller staff. Co-owner Cassie Green says that it's their creative way of solving a dilemma.

"We were unable to create a profitable or sustainable business in our first iteration, but that was with expenses on a seven-day-a-week, 13-hour-a-day operation with multiple departments," she says. "It was too much.

"However, we still have a lease on the space for more than a year. After thinking about how to cover that payment and hearing the outcry from our customer friends about our closing, we decided to create a micro version."

That means they'll sell what she calls their "greatest hits," with limited hours and a skeleton crew.

"We will have the juice/coffee/smoothie bar open and will have quarts of bone broth along with meats and our popular items," she says. They won't have their deli, but she's not ruling that out for the future.

In early January, the store announced that it would have to close, despite her efforts and those from the community to keep it afloat. Green and her husband, Gary Stephens, founded Green Grocer in Chicago, then opened the second branch on Greenville Avenue in 2012. Their focus remains on selling organic, sustainable, and non-GMO goods.

The new identity begins this week. On January 26, they'll be open from 5-7 pm for bone broth and discount items, then begin their new hours on January 27: Wednesday-Friday, 1 to 7 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm; and Sunday, 10 a-4 pm. They'll close on Monday and Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Green says they're still exploring options for partners on the space. "But for now, we'll continue working with our wonderful vendors and our customers," she says. "We hope that this version will be viable. If it is, when our lease on this place is up, we will certainly consider finding a more suitable space here in Dallas."

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Fried Chicken News

Chicago restaurant debuts its fried chicken and boba tea in Frisco

Chi Tea

Chi Tea burgers and chicken sandwiches.

A new restaurant serving boba tea and fried chicken just opened in Frisco: Called Chi Tea, it's a chain from Chicago that opened its first location in Texas at 4760 Preston Rd. #228, in a former Bonchon Korean in Frisco Village.

According to a release, It opened November 1.

The concept was founded in Chicago in 2020 by brothers Zak Ayyubi, Aman Siddiqui, and friend Abdurahman Sharif, with an unusual goal to pair fried chicken sandwiches, fries, and bubble tea drinks. They've since opened two more locations in Illinois; Frisco is the fourth and the first outside the state.

The name is a little misleading, as it implies it's a beverage place, but there's equal emphasis on the sandwiches and fries. They also tout their welcoming vibe, encouraging customers to eat, drink, and linger.

Their menu features three sandwiches — Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich, a grilled chicken, and a burger with grilled onions, jalapenos, pickles, cheese, and Chi-sauce — which can also be ordered in a smaller slider size.

There are also fries, loaded fries, popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, and mac & cheese, which can be customized with bacon, beef, fries, and other toppings.

Prices typically range from $5 for a single Chi Tea Classic slider to $13 for four-piece chicken tenders.

Boba drinks are entirely customizable, starting with choice of blended smoothie or over ice, with choice of flavor ranging from pineapple to brown sugar milk tea to horchata; and toppings, like popping pearls or cream cheese foam. A regular starts at $5 and a large starts at $6.

Notably, Chi Tea was among the restaurants selected in the recent Spongebob Krabby Patty promotion during October that took place in 12 cities across North America, included a dozen restaurants in Dallas.

"We are very excited to finally bring a taste of Chicago to the Greater Dallas area," says Ayyubi in a release. "This move has been very promising and we cannot wait for the community to welcome us and for us to serve this beautiful city."

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