Shhhh. Don't tell anybody, but Fairplay Foods, the Chicago-regional supermarket chain, is having a "soft" opening for its new Oak Lawn store at 87th Street and Cicero Avenue.

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The store will open its doors at 7 a.m. Sunday. The managers and staff will be putting on the final touches for the grand opening on Thursday, Oct.18.

The Oak Lawn store is the seventh to open under the Fairplay banner, which has stores in Worth, Hickory Hills, Markham and three on Chicago's South Side. All of the stores are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Fairplay moves into the former Dominick's space which closed on Jan. 1. Those who relied on the store, especially seniors and other locals who don't drive, were devastated by its loss.

Mike Kozlowski, vice president of retail operations for Fairplay and a partner in the business, announced in April that Fairplay would be coming to Oak Lawn and remodeling the aging grocery storefront with all new energy efficient equipment.

The new store offers a bakery and hot food department, expanded produce and deli departments as well as the company’s trademark fresh meat department.

Everything is new, so let's not be to hasty in our judgment the next few weeks. The employees are new and still learning the equipment, cash registers, and where food items are located.

Thank you, Mr. Kozlowski and your partners, for bringing jobs to our area and welcome to Oak Lawn.

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