Yellow Banana, the holding company for Save-A-Lot stores received $13.5 million in subsidies with additional loans and federal grants amounting to $26 million to rehabilitate and open six stores in Chicago “food deserts”.  Yellow Banana entered into an agreement with the City of Chicago as the only company willing to undertake the development.

Although some rehabilitation has started, none has been completed. The Auburn Gresham store has been delayed by almost a year with some construction completed. There is little to show for the $26 million allocated and according to a prominent retail grocery consultant with knowledge of the matter the project will most likely fail. This will leave potential customers underserved and the funders out of pocket.