A grocery store chain long a part of two Will County villages is being sold.
Walt’s Food Centers in Crete and Beecher, along with another in Homewood, and a fourth in Dyer, Indiana, are expected to become part of the Berkot’s Super Foods chain sometime in the next few weeks.
Walt’s announced the sale in a letter to employees last week.
The letter, shared on social media, said simply, “After 88 years of dedication and hard work, we, as a multigenerational family business, have made the decision to get out of the grocery business.”
Crete Village President Mark Wiater confirmed he had been contacted by Walt’s and notified of the pending sale.
“Rob Lageste from Walt’s did call me a few weeks ago and told me the news would be coming out that Berkot’s was in the process of acquiring Walt’s Foods,” Wiater said.
“I have been in contact with Tim Kelly. Tim is in business development with Berkot’s. We plan to meet in the next few weeks to have both sides introduce themselves and exchange contacts.
“I do know Crete is excited to welcome Berkot’s to Crete, and we look forward to a long relationship with them. I really don’t know of a projected start date. I never heard anything firm.
“I will miss Walt’s, as my family shopped there. But I have been in a number of Berkot’s stores, and they seem like a quality operation. I will continue to use my local grocery store.”
Like Walt’s, Berkot’s is a family-owned business based in Mokena.
Established in 1981 by the Kotara family, it has grown to include 17 locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Its locations are in Peotone, Manteno, Manhattan, New Lenox, Lockport, Coal City, Watseka, Dwight, Aroma Park, Braidwood, Wilmington, Momence, Kankakee, Midlothian, and in Twin Lakes and Burlington, Wisconsin.
Regularly voted Southland’s Best in a local annual reader’s choice contest, Berkot’s Super Foods is a full-service grocery store.
Their website notes, “Our mission is to earn your loyalty through our commitment to quality, community, and opportunity. We are dedicated to offering fresh, quality groceries every day at competitive prices.
“We strive to make each community part of the Berkot family by participating in community events, both personally and financially. We are committed to providing rewarding jobs and career opportunities to the people within our communities. Our goal is to exceed the expectations of our customers through our commitment to quality, community and opportunity.”
You forgot the Berkots in Mokena Illinois!