After 50 years, Island Lake grocery store heads to last checkout

Owners of Island Foods, an independent grocery store in Island Lake, announced on a social media post the store would be closing by the end of the summer.

The store, located off Route 176, has been in business for 50 years since 1972, and according to its website, was in business as a grocery store before then, as well.

The announcement on Facebook received hundreds of responses from community residents, many expressing sadness about the closure and recounting memories from shopping or even working there.

“We have been honored to be part of this community,” owners Michele Crisci and Denise Turner wrote in the Facebook post Monday. “We want to thank our customers for their support over the past 50 years, and wish everyone all the best.”

The store will be closing at the end of August, and will be offering various items at a discount in the coming weeks, Crisci and Turner said in the statement.

Although the post states there are ongoing discussions of a potential sale, the owners did not provide a specific reason for the closure and declined to comment on the situation Wednesday.

With wholesale inflation climbing to 11% from June 2021 to June 2022, many small businesses in the Chicago suburbs have struggled.

Several shoppers expressed disappointment and said the store’s closure would significantly affect shoppers in Island Lake.

Fox Lake resident Troy Leatherby said his wife worked next door and that many people stopped at Island Foods for sandwiches during their lunch break.

Another shopper, Ken Moran of Prairie Grove, said he remembers going to the grocery store when he was a kid.

“It won’t be Island Lake without Island Foods,” Moran said.