So, so sad to announce that Local D’Lish, that sweet local foods and kitchen store that helped set the tone for the North Loop when it opened in 2008, has closed.
The store will be open for one more day, this coming Thursday, February 11, for a closing sale where all inventory will be offered at a deep discount. And hugs will be free.
Owner Ann Yin is closing the store because she feels she needs a new career with a better work/life balance for her family. “I am incredibly proud of what we’ve done here, we set out to connect people through the power of food, and I think we did that. When I think of all the farmers and artisans we featured, the products we helped launch, the careers of women we’ve furthered, I can’t even begin to tell you how much that has all meant to me,” Yin told me. I myself have gone to Yin looking for the cool things locals are making, and many of the things that showed up in the pages of our magazine were there because Yin loved them and made sure to sing their praises.
“But owning a business is stressful! It’s just time for me to forge a new path that allows me more time with my family. I’m hoping to keep a career in local foods, I would love to continue to be a part of helping artisans and producers realize their dreams.”
So there it is, on one of the hottest streets in the city, we lose a local foods pioneer. Head into the store for one last hurrah, pick up some great local foods, and give Ann a big hug, she deserves one for all that she’s done for local foods and that neighborhood.
