Nonprofit grocery store Daily Table closes after a decade of operation
Food price increases and uncertainties in funding have affected the store
Vivian Hir–The Tech
On May 9, the nonprofit grocery store Daily Table announced in a letter from its board of directors that its four grocery stores across the Greater Boston area would close by the end of the weekend. The Dorchester, Roxbury, and Salem stores closed on May 11, while the Cambridge store in Central Square closed on May 12. According to the letter, Daily Table has served more than 3 million customers, resulting in over $16 million in customer savings while making healthy food more affordable for the community.
The letter stated that the closure of Daily Table is the result of financial challenges, particularly “high levels of food price increases” and the “uncertain and difficult funding environment” that have interfered with the store’s operations. “We understand that this comes at a time when other food access resources and organizations are at risk, which makes this news even more difficult to share,” the board wrote.
Founded in 2012 by Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader Joe’s, Daily Table was a nonprofit organization that aimed to provide budget-friendly, nutritious food. Its first store, located in Dorchester, opened in 2015; the Central Square store opened in 2021. Unlike retail grocery stores, which primarily rely on sales, 30% of Daily Table’s operating costs were covered by donations. Furthermore, Daily Table worked with suppliers who provide donated and discounted food, helping lower costs. As a result, the average customer saved 25% on Daily Table compared to retail stores, according to its 2024 impact report.
Besides selling produce at lower prices, Daily Table accepted SNAP/EBT benefits, also known as food stamps. All food items in the store, including a selection of healthy prepared meals such as salads and sandwiches, were SNAP-eligible. In the Central Square store, SNAP customers could purchase $20 of produce at a half price of $10, or a 50% discount of up to $10.
In the past few years, the MIT Food Security Action Team (FSAT) has partnered with Daily Table’s Central Square store to provide MIT students with access to healthy produce at economical prices. At Daily Table, students could use TechCash and Dining Dollars to purchase goods. During the 2023 closure of the Student Center, the Division of Student Life (DSL) offered free grocery delivery from Daily Table during the spring semester for orders of at least $25 within 2.5 miles of the Central Square location.
Over the weekend of May 10 to May 11, Daily Table offered a 30% discount on all items and sold its entire inventory. By the end of May 10, most of the store’s produce section was empty. “It’s still a shock and I’m still trying to process it all,” Central Square team member Lily Sater said, as she did not anticipate the store’s closure prior to the announcement. On the other hand, team leader Olin Goudey found Daily Table’s nonprofit model to be “very optimistic,” given that part of the organization’s budget depends on donors such as the government and private foundations.
Reflecting upon her two-year experience working at Daily Table, Sater said, “I love the co-workers, customers, everyone. It was a great addition to the community, especially around here where things are really expensive.”
Like Sater, Goudey will miss Daily Table for the people and the organization. “I have worked in a lot of places where you just do one thing and that’s it — you operate like a machine,” he said. “[At Daily Table], it seems like people were working together to do something.”
Customers reacted to the news with sadness. Michelle Escobar ’25, a regular shopper at Daily Table, appreciated the grocery store for providing affordable food and “culturally relevant produce” such as plantains and mangoes. “I’m very sad to see them go, and I hope MIT will provide more support for low-income students to fill the gap,” they wrote.
Calvin Macatantan ’26 echoed Escobar’s concerns, finding the closure of Daily Table to be “devastating news,” as the store provided affordable groceries, which he finds to be “already scarce” near MIT’s campus. Macatantan considers other grocery stores near MIT — HMart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Brothers Marketplace — to be much more expensive and unsustainable for students from low-income backgrounds. “This is more than an inconvenience,” he wrote. “It is a huge blow to food security, especially on a campus where food insecurity is already a persistent, unsolved issue.”
On May 12, MIT Campus Dining sent an email notifying students about the closure of Daily Table. Regarding the closure, Senior Associate Dean for Support, Wellbeing, and Belonging Kate McCarthy wrote in an email statement that FSAT will continue their efforts in food security and encouraged students to ask the team for help if needed.
In the 2023 Undergraduate Enrolled Student Survey, 10% of undergraduates reported going to bed hungry at least one night a week because of “the lack of money to buy food.” Other reasons included the lack of time to purchase groceries or cook, the inaccessibility of food during free times in their schedules, and the lack of time to eat.
According to McCarthy, the DSL recently hired Andrew Mankus, a new Senior Director of Campus Dining. He plans to improve MIT’s dining by meeting student needs and increasing accessibility. “Our goal is to increase the opportunities to build community around dining while ensuring that students have access to food when they need it and where they need it,” McCarthy wrote.
Recent efforts to increase dining options on campus include RetailSwipe, a program in which students can use swipes at any of the on-campus cafes, and the opening of Concord Market in the Student Center. Nosh, the late-night vending section next to Concord Market, will sell “staple items” such as bottled drinks and “grab-and-go meals,” and will open soon.
Some students have criticized Concord Market for its expensive prices. In an email to The Tech, Executive Director for Administration of DSL Peter Cummings wrote, “We understand the financial pressures many students face and recognize the importance of access to affordable and convenient food options for the members of the MIT community.” Cummings stated that Concord Market takes their “feedback seriously” in regards to aspects such as pricing. The store now accepts EBT and will change their products for the fall term.