This morning the new Trader Joe's opens. Chicago Fair Food is protesting its opening. more ›

A pilot program Groupon is testing in a Massachusetts supermarket chain aims to show the daily discount company's business model can work with larger businesses. more ›

Yesterday, the Organic Consumer's Association picketed the Lincoln Park Whole Foods, alleging that Whole Foods isn't doing enough to fight the pervasiveness of genetically-modified foods. In the course of the protest, the political director of the OCA, Alexis Baden-Mayer, was arrested. We got in touch with Whole Foods to get their side of the story - what their policies on genetically modified organisms actually are, how they dealt with the protest and what they are doing to improve the products across their stores. more ›

A major salvo was fired yesterday in the battle to provide access to healthy and affordable food to Chicago's most underserved neighborhoods. Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel, several alderman, civic groups, and local citizens were on hand to celebrate the grand opening of five Save-a-Lot grocery stores on the city's south side. It made for a morning of stirring speeches about the fight against blight, development in poorer neighborhoods, and, of course, the importance of having good access to good food. more ›

Despite $25 million (including $8 million in tax increment financing) and the enthusiastic support of Mayor Daley, the Chicago French Market at the Ogilvie Transportation Center is underperforming, according to Crain's. more ›

It's been quite a week for 5th Ward Ald. Leslie Hairston. After putting feelers out about running against Daley for mayor of Chicago she then backpedaled and played the "misunderstood" card. So it was only a little awkward yesterday when she appeared before the fourth estate with Mayor Daley to laud the opening of a Walgreens that sells fruit and vegetables in a South Side food desert that only a mega-corporation could love. more ›

According to Feeding America, 1 out of every 4 children in the country are food insecure,which means they live on the brink of going hungry. In her 2009 Food Desert Progress Report, researcher Mari Gallagher estimated over 600,000 Chicagoans lived in areas of the city that weren't easily accessible to fresh groceries. Of that number, one-third are children. What serves as a grocery store in these areas is often a corner convenience store with limited options for fresh, canned or frozen food. Ultimately, residents of food deserts are typically buying junk food with their money or SNAP assistance, which increases the childhood obesity epidemic in these neighborhoods, as well as increased health risks. more ›

Perhaps doing an end run around community opposition to Wal-Mart's plans to expand into Chatham, Ald. Anthony Beale told Fran Spielman that he has the votes to bring Wal-Mart into the Pullman neighborhood. "I'm confident I have the votes. I'm floating around 34 or 35," Beale told the Sun-Times. The Chicago Plan Commission will vote on the matter in March, and the full council will vote in April. “We will be voting on a development — not just a store. It’s a bigger issue than just Wal-Mart. My site will create 4,000 permanent jobs, generate hundreds of millions in new revenue and keep union people working. It’ll create 1,200 homes and a dozen stores. In this climate, how can you vote against that?” more ›

The recent floods and cresting rivers in the Midwest are going to have an adverse effect on our pocketbooks. With over two million acres of corn and soybean fields under water and futures prices for corn already at record highs (thanks, ethanol production!), the floods are sending prices for soy and corn flying through the roof on trading floors around the world. more ›

Today's Headline: Peapod Caught Delivering Alcohol to Teens. We don't want to say anything to besmirch Peapod's good name — if it weren't for their timely deliveries, there is no telling what we would be attempting to eat out of our fridge. However, it seems like our favorite grocery folk been delivering alcohol to teens without checking for ID. more ›