Last April, Southwest Side residents celebrated the grand reopening of a Save A Lot, the last from a deal backed by $13.5 million in city money to renovate six of the discount grocery stores in food deserts.The man behind the project was Joseph Canfield, CEO of Ohio-based Yellow Banana, heralded by fellow cofounders for his “couple decades of grocery experience." Following the reopenings, he was tasked with leading the Chicago stores owned by Yellow Banana, and required to keep them open for at least 10 years.But one year after that last store opened, Canfield died of a stroke on April 10, Ohio’s Bureau of Vital Statistics confirmed. He was 54.Yellow Banana hasn’t named a successor, and Save A Lot says they’re unaware of an interim CEO.While the Save A Lot stores are still operating, Canfield’s sudden death has triggered a default in their redevelopment agreement with the city, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.The default, or breaking of the legal agreement, means city officials could force the beleaguered company to pay back the millions it received to open stores in neighborhoods traditional grocers had abandoned. And the succession plan required in case of a key death has yet to be submitted to the city by Yellow Banana. The grand opening of Save A Lot’s West Lawn location on April 9, 2025, drew a line of shoppers. It was the last of six stores that operator Yellow Banana reopened as part of a city deal.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file Save A Lot’s corporate team notified Chicago officials of Canfield’s death in late April and then met with the city’s Department of Planning and Development to discuss next steps, department spokesman Peter Strazzabosco says in a statement.He says Save A Lot has taken over store operations in the interim, though the company has no obligation to the city to keep the stores open. Through a licensing agreement, Yellow Banana utilizes Save A Lot’s name and supply chain to operate its own stores.Yellow Banana’s legal trouble started soon after its 2021 inception, shrinking from 38 stores across five states to the six covered under the redevelopment agreement and a seventh in Englewood. Since the deal, Canfield was also personally hit with lawsuits, liens and foreclosures.Yellow Banana cofounders Michael Nance, Walker Brumskine and Ademola Adewale-Sadik didn't respond to requests for comment.Lawsuits, liens and foreclosuresYellow Banana was pitched to Chicagoans in 2022 as a Black-owned company that wanted to reinvest in Save A Lot locations that came with a reputation for dirty stores, a rat infestation and expired foods.Canfield was often the only Yellow Banana executive who appeared at community meetings and store openings. Emails reviewed by the Sun-Times show Canfield was the primary contact for the city.He was also the founder of dozens of other businesses, including real estate and general contracting, records show.He recently poured time into hosting his podcast, Salty Ginger Talk, that focused on self-help and the perils of big government, and publishing a daily newsletter.His businesses faced many lawsuits, and properties were foreclosed on, including his Cleveland office currently up for a tax sale. His real estate companies have been accused of negligence, fraud and breach of contract.Since 2021, Yellow Banana and Canfield have faced more than 20 lawsuits, liens and tax foreclosures totaling over $2.8 million, according to court records. The bulk of that was filed against Yellow Banana by contractors and vendors like PepsiCo and Frito Lay, alleging they hadn’t been paid for delivered goods and services. Related Chicago’s answer to food deserts has left a trail of debts, lawsuits, ‘can’t pay’ an $800 utility bill At the same time, Canfield was fighting a lawsuit filed in Oregon by his stepsiblings accusing him of stealing valuable coins from his late stepfather’s estate with his mother’s help. According to the plaintiffs, he used the $238,500 he netted to buy Save A Lot stores and start Yellow Banana.The day before Canfield died, a judge awarded the stepbrothers more than $342,000.Canfield and Yellow Banana rarely responded to lawsuits. In many cases, the plaintiffs received default judgments, or the suit was dismissed.Canfield had repeatedly refused to discuss the company’s legal and financial troubles.“We’re looking forward on things; we’re really not going to talk about things in the past,” he told the Sun-Times in 2024. “We don’t comment on any litigation. Any challenges we have with suppliers we are actively working through with them.”In 2024, Save A Lot stepped in to take the reins on many of Yellow Banana’s 38 locations, with the remaining stores outside of Chicago shuttering due to poor performance.“We’ve got a big commitment in Chicago, and we really need to be able to deliver what we said. … There’s public tax dollars there,” Canfield said in September 2024. “We take that commitment very, very seriously. So we went to Save A Lot and said, ‘Hey, for us to focus on this, we should figure out a partnership here that’s going to allow this to move forward.’”Save A Lot spokesperson Sarah Griffin said at the time that they are “committed to the long-term success” of licensed network of stores. Since then, they’ve helped financially support Yellow Banana stores, despite not appearing in the redevelopment agreement between Yellow Banana and the city. “On a case-by-case basis, Save A Lot will provide additional support to stores where there’s a demonstrated need,” Griffin previously said. Shoppers look over the produce section at the renovated Save A Lot in West Garfield Park, 420 S. Pulaski Road.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times file After years of delays, Canfield asked the city for a six month extension to complete the stores. The last of the renovated stores reopened in April 2025, although two stores didn't meet key requirements of the deal and led to more than $50,000 in city penalties.In July 2025, Canfield and Brumskine were sued by their law firm Roetzel Andress, which represented Yellow Banana’s parent company 127 Wall Holdings. The firm accused the founders of $180,000 in unpaid bills and interest.More recently, a Chicago branch of check cashing business Currency Exchange accused Canfield and Yellow Banana of bouncing a $232 check that appears to have been made to an employee, Cook County court records show.Since the openings, the stores have continued to be cited for overgrown weeds and deceptive business practices by city enforcement.A December spree of city inspections cited every Save A Lot store for deceptive practices, which included selling foods two months past its expiration date.The stores were given violations for overcharging customers. City records show 51 products rang up higher than advertised.At the West Garfield Park store,16 packages of turkey bacon advertised as $3.79 rang up at the register as $4.69. Milk-Bone dog biscuits at the Englewood location cost customers $3.99, double the advertised price of $2. Yogurt priced at $4.49 scanned as $5.59.And during visits to Save A Lot locations this past week, expired products — like milk and eggs — could be seen on the shelves with many other products showing a same-day expiration date.What comes nextYellow Banana’s annual report filed to the Illinois Secretary of State on May 3 listed Canfield as the company’s only manager, three weeks after his death. Businesses are required to file an annual report with the state, confirming or updating company information, and pay required fees in order to maintain good standing.His name is signed below a promise that “managers confirm their existence,” and that the document is “true, correct and complete.”A Secretary of State spokesman says the company didn't notify the office of Canfield’s death. The office is now reviewing the case.No obituary for Canfield or social posts from family members could be found. His podcast’s LinkedIn page made a post advertising the skills of “my producer James,” nearly a month after Canfield’s death. Canfield’s mother, Kathy Middleton, and wife, Sharin, didn't respond to requests for comment.A search of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, court records show no probate case has been opened, nor does Canfield’s name appear in the county’s online database of deaths.Strazzabosco says following an executive’s death, Yellow Banana must “promptly present a succession plan and relevant disclosures for review and approval.”Griffin, of Save A Lot, says Yellow Banana continues “to be involved in store operations.”Management has been “leaning in, investing additional funding and operational resources into the stores and the Yellow Banana organization to ensure these stores can continue to provide a full, fresh shopping experience across Chicago,” Griffin says.She’s not aware of a new CEO being appointed.She didn't respond to questions regarding which operations Yellow Banana is currently involved in. But she says Yellow Banana is still the owner and operator of the Chicago stores — and maintains responsibility for the stores.According to the city agreement, Save A Lot is not legally bound to keep “leaning in” — or providing money to Yellow Banana. ...read more read less