Binny's Proposed For Former Whole Foods Site

EVANSTON, IL — A libational replacement for the shuttered Whole Foods store at 1111 Chicago Ave. in Evanston is being considered, as Binny's Beverage Depot is interested in moving into the site.

A community meeting has been scheduled by 3rd Ward Alderman Melissa Wynne for next week to discuss the plans. It is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School, 910 Forest Ave.

The former Whole Foods Market shut its doors in March, saying that "the investment required to remain in this location does not warrant the continuation of our business." It marked the first permanent store closing in the Texas-based grocery store's history.

Binny's is a family-owned local chain of liquor stores with 35 stores in the Chicago area. Other north suburban locations include Skokie, Niles, Glencoe, Highland Park, Wheeling and a Lincolnwood store that opened last year.

The company was founded in 1948 by Harold Binstein as a single liquor store near Wrigley Field. His son, a former newspaper reporter, took over the business after his death. Now CEO, Michael Binstein made the business into what it is today, as he began opening large-format liquor superstores and buying out competitors, according to a 2012 profile in Retail Merchandiser.

_{Top photo: 2016 photo of the now-defunct Whole Foods at 1111 Chicago Ave. | Google Street View}