The arrival of Call Your Mother Deli and bagel shop on Damen Avenue has reignited a longstanding discussion in Wicker Park about the role of independent versus corporate retailers, following its opening on May 19. The opening coincided with the sudden closure of Australian taco chain Guzman y Gomez, further fueling conversations among residents and business owners about where to spend their money.
Call Your Mother was founded by Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira in Washington, D.C., in 2018 and has since grown to around two dozen locations nationwide. Last year, Dana and Moreira sold a majority stake to asset management company Invus but continue to run daily operations. This private equity involvement led Bill Jacobs, owner of Piece Pizzeria and Brobagel nearby, to encourage neighbors via social media to support locally owned businesses instead. “I took it as an affront,” Jacobs said regarding Call Your Mother’s opening. “It was important to me to get the message out that people should support Brobagel, should support Piece, should support … all the locally-owned businesses, because we are the fabric of Chicago, the fabric of Wicker Park and Bucktown.”
Ashley Ortiz from Antique Taco echoed similar sentiments online while Kit Graham discussed these trends in a Substack post titled “The War Against Private Equity in Wicker Park.” Guzman y Gomez’s brief presence—opening last December before closing all U.S. stores last month—has become part of this ongoing conversation about chains versus independents.
Amanda Kezios at Mojo Spa described how her business survived economic downturns and policy changes but continues serving the community through events and handmade products. “Corporations or corporate stores… come and go,” Kezios said. “They don’t have a connection to the neighborhood… Corporate businesses … as soon as they don’t see the numbers, they’re out… but all these small businesses… stick around.” She also highlighted that shopping local brings variety: “You get that uniqueness and that individuality from those small businesses that you don’t get from a corporate store that has hundreds of locations all around the country.”
Some local owners do not urge customers away from chains entirely. Mindy Segal of Mindy’s Bakery encouraged supporting employees wherever people choose to shop: “No matter where you go… you are helping to pay for an employee’s salary and insurance,” Segal said on Instagram.
Andrew Dana responded by emphasizing continued family ownership despite investment partners: “We did bring on an investment partner last year… Not cutting corners… Not squeezing quality,” he said via email.
Jacobs hopes his advocacy will keep sparking dialogue about consumer choices: “I’m not asking people to support Brobagel or Piece if they’re not happy with what we do… I stand by our product… for our employees and for the community.” Ortiz added she does not expect residents only patronize indie spots but wants them remembered.
