Don Fitzgerald, co-founder of defunct Chicago grocery startup Dom’s Kitchen & Market, has joined management consulting firm The Partnering Group, the veteran retail executive announced in a post on LinkedIn Monday.
Fitzgerald recently served as president and chief operating officer of Outfox Hospitality, the now-bankrupt company formed by the merger last November of Dom’s and upscale convenience store chain Foxtrot Market. He is now serving as a partner in The Partnering Group’s retail practice, according to his profile on the social media platform.
In his new role, Fitzgerald helps companies manage transformational change by tapping his experience in retail, his profile says. He also helps clients drive sales and revenue “through the creation of Category Management and Joint Business Planning processes that leverage the expertise through efficient collaboration.”
Fitzgerald previously served as a partner at The Partnering Group from 2005 to 2007, his LinkedIn profile notes.
Fitzgerald, a retired executive of Chicago-area Kroger banner Mariano’s, teamed up with Bob Mariano, the founder of that chain, and Jay Owen, whose grandfather founded the former Dominick’s supermarket chain, to launch Dom’s in 2021.
The fledgling retailer sought to build a name for itself by fusing grocery shopping with restaurant dining. When it abruptly shut down last month along with Foxtrot, Dom’s operated two stores and was planning to open a third location later this year.
Fitzgerald served as president and later co-CEO of Dom’s and became sole chief executive of the company last year.
In addition to his experience at Dom’s and Mariano’s, Fitzgerald has served in executive positions at Roundy’s Supermarkets, Meijer and Safeway, his LinkedIn profile notes.
