Daily Table, a nonprofit local grocery chain in Boston, Cambridge and Salem, is closing its four locations in the coming days. With federal cuts to hunger relief programs, along with the rising prices of food and other challenges dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic, its board of directors decided to shutter the remaining locations after shrinking its footprint earlier this year.
“It’s a very sad day for us because for 10 years we’ve been able to serve communities,” Doug Rauch, Daily Table’s founder and chair of the board of directors, told GBH News. “They counted on us for truly affordable fresh fruits and vegetables — and not just fresh fruits, vegetables, but prepared meals, too.”
For the past 10 years, Daily Table has served neighborhoods across Greater Boston by working alongside each community to make affordable, nutritious food accessible to all. More than three million customers went to the grocery stores, the board of directors wrote in an email to customers.
“Without immediate funding to bridge us through 2025, we cannot continue. After careful consideration, we have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that we can no longer continue operations,” the Board of Directors wrote in an email to subscribed customers.
“In the last 90 days, a lot of federal programs that have supported food relief, hunger relief, farm to table have either been frozen or cut,” Rauch asid. The biggest federal funding shortfall, according to Rauch, was to the Double Up Food Bucks. “That’s where people can come into our store who are SNAP recipients and get fresh fruits and vegetables for half price,” he explained. “Which has been a phenomenally successful program.”
Ayanna Fergusson and Shanaejha Peters live in Fields Corner and are regular customers at the Codman Square Daily Table.
“I’m sad. I love Daily Table. I eat there a lot,” Peters said.
“Especially after the pandemic, we were not really in a good financial place,” Fergusson said. “So that place is where we were going for a good amount of time.”
Boston officials said they tried to help keep the city’s locations open.
“Trying to help them fundraise, trying to connect them with the city for resources and strategizing ideas on marketing and how to attract more people to the stores,” said Ruthzee Louijeune, president of the Boston City Council. “It’s just sad to see that it’ll be closing.”
Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell, who has a store in his district, said this is also impacting jobs in each neighborhood.
“These places did hire people from the community. I have sent a letter to the Daily Table letting them know that we are here,” he said. “And if any of their employees are looking for letters and recommendations, please reach out to and to take a look at the city website as the city has a good amount of vacancies.”
Daily Table says it employs about 85 people, who typically live in the same neighborhood as the store where they work.
Rauch, who hatched the nonprofit grocery store concept, said about 38% of the population who is eligible for services does not take them because they are embarrassed.
“A lot of Daily Table came out of this idea that how can we reach people in a way that gives them a dignified exchange where they get to go and buy and choose,” he said. “And feel that they’re providing for the family, yet provides them with good, healthy food at prices they can truly afford. And that was our mission, and that’s what we’ve been doing for the last 10 years.”
Rauch says the stores will be working to sell the remaining inventory over the next several days and will be offering deeply discounted items until they cease operations.
