West Dundee grocery closes short of its first birthday

In the jovial moments of starting his first business, Nature's Fresh Market in West Dundee, 27-year-old Patrick Morales thought he would carry the same business card for the rest of his life.

But the fate of his store became clear just months into the venture.

The store that featured fresh and exotic produce and homemade guacamole opened in late August near the intersection of Routes 31 and 72 suffered from a shortage of funds from the outset. In January, the Morales family left the indebted store to developer Stelios Aktipis, who leased the family the space in Springhill Gateway.

Citing a lack of profits and management expertise, Aktipis closed the store last week, six months after taking it over. "It's not the kind of business we would like to run, and it distracted our own business," the real estate investor said.

For Morales, who has been working at various grocery stores since he was 11, the moment was tough to swallow.

"I designed, built and ran the entire store, and worked for more than 100 hours a week," he said, his frustration turning into blame. "He (Aktipis) didn't care whether the store was doing good."

Morales said his family and Aktipis each owned 50 percent of Nature's Fresh Market, but the developer did not put in all the promised $1.3 million to $1.5 million investment.

"He didn't come up with the money we need. We didn't have the product we were supposed to have," he said. "If we need $50,000, he gives us $10,000. That wouldn't stop the bleeding."

Aktipis denied ownership of the grocery business. He provided a commercial lease showing his landlord-tenant relation with the Morales family. Morales said he didn't have a copy of the 50-50 agreement.

But, Aktipis said, he did invest more than $1.5 million in the store "for the benefits of the shopping center."

"Half of it was inducement, and the other half was essentially a loan," he said. "The Moraleses ran out of funds before the market developed its clientele."

Village officials cannot wait to move on and fill the space.

"The address was set up for groceries. The landlord and the village are highly desirous to see a new grocery there," Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said. "It's almost a turnkey operation."

Aktipis agreed. "Everything is intact," he said. "We can be ready to open within two or three weeks."