Plant-based concept Clover Food Lab will officially close its doors on Thursday. In an email to customers, CEO Julia Wrin Piper said the 11-unit brand has been navigating the lingering effects of COVID and inflation throughout its supply chain, although it still managed to source ingredients from local farms. But the constant macroeconomic pressures were too much for the company to bear. It said ingredients cost 30 to 50 percent more than they did two years ago. “Today, everyone is getting hit with rising costs—food prices are up, delivery prices are up, and a hundred other costs are moving in the same direction…even the less flashy things like cardboard and fry oil,” Wrin Piper said. ” … At Clover, we’ve raised prices some, of course, but there is a limit—every one of you is likely thinking about how you save and spend right now too. We’re deeply saddened about the circumstances.” Clover indicated in early April that these closures were coming if it didn’t find a buyer. The fast casual filed a WARN notice in Massachusetts, letting the state know that it may lay off nearly 200 workers. Wrin Piper confirmed that 170 employees will lose their jobs. Secure your spot at QSR Evolution before early bird ends! Registration is now open here. Clover was founded by Ayr Muir, a graduate of MIT, in 2008 with the goal of making plant-forward food appealing to mainstream consumers, eventually evolving from a food truck into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2011. The chain…
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