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Butera Fruit Market opening this month in Des Plaines

The long-awaited Butera Fruit Market in Des Plaines will be opening its doors later this month, the company said Thursday.

Store manager Bill Weide said the grocery store in The Oaks Shopping Center at Oakton and Lee streets is on track to open in as early as two weeks. But the exact date depends on getting the final go-ahead from city inspectors.

Workers already are stocking shelves in preparation for the opening, Weide said, and the city council approved its liquor license Tuesday.

"We're going to have a large selection of produce, a large selection at the deli and a fresh bakery," Weide said.

The 64,000-square-foot space has been undergoing a transformation since summer 2017, when Piggly Wiggly Midwest stores started renovations.

In 2016, Butera/Piggly Wiggly acquired the property, in an auction of assets owned by Joe Caputo & Sons, which had become financially overextended taking over former Dominick's locations. In a May 2016 public auction, the owners of Butera and Piggly Wiggly grocery stores won some of Caputo's assets with a bid of $32 million. The properties included The Oaks Shopping Center.

There's been a lot of action in the Des Plaines grocery store market lately.

Just down the street at 959 E. Oakton St., Joe's Fresh Market - previously named Joe Caputo & Sons - opened about a year ago only to close within a few months in the spring.

In March, a Mariano's grocery store opened at Golf and Mount Prospect roads, and Sam's Fresh Market followed shortly after by taking up shop in the former Ace Hardware on Oakton Street.

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