May 21st, 2025

Daily Table closes its doors

Deidre Montague

The Daily Table operated stores in five locations. PHOTO: THE DAILY TABLE

Banner Business Sponsored by The Boston Foundation

After 10 years of service to neighborhoods across Greater Boston, a local nonprofit community grocery chain officially closed its doors on May 12.

Daily Table grocery stores were “dedicated to making nutritious, quality food affordable to everyone,” such as fresh produce, grocery staples, and made-from-scratch prepared foods.

The chain worked daily to “fill the gap between free food resources and traditional retail grocery stores through their partnerships with growers, manufacturers and other suppliers by obtaining “high quality foods at low costs” and making it available to everyone, including those with a SNAP budget.

They also provided living wage jobs with a strong preference for hiring community members from the neighborhoods in which their stores were located and promoted within their organization.

Daily Table had five store locations: Central Square, Dorchester, Roxbury, Salem, and Mattapan (which closed on January 6).

In their open letter to the public, the Daily Table Board of Directors said this was not an easy decision, as they have served these neighborhoods across Greater Boston since 2015.

“We are proud to have served over three million customers, returning over $16 million in savings to the community while removing the barriers to healthy food,” the letter states.

The board said the past several years have been particularly difficult for them to navigate. Some of the factors that led to their decision include the challenges of COVID-19, the pressures of facing historically high levels of food price increases, the current uncertain and difficult funding environment, and having no immediate funding to bridge them through the year.

Some community members shared their reactions to hearing about Daily Table closing its doors for good.

Rev. Irene Monroe, one of the hosts of the weekly podcast, “All Revved Up!” on WGBH (89.7 FM) Boston Public Radio, was at one of the Daily Table locations on their closing day.

She said both she and other community members went to collectively lament on what will be lost with their closing, and to say goodbye and thank you to the employees who worked there.

“The Daily Table was the people’s neighborhood grocery. It had a grassroots vibe, and it filled a food desert in Cambridge for folks who could not afford to shop at the three Whole Foods [Markets] and the two Trader Joe’s in Cambridge,” said Monroe. “It was a welcoming space and much talked about grocery [store]. Right in the center of Central Square, the Daily Table provided fresh fruit and vegetables at affordable prices. Folks who had issues with the well-known owners of Whole Foods and Trader’s Joes could shop at the Daily Table conscious-free.”

Kelley Chunn of Kelley Chunn & Associates said that the closing of Daily Table is a hard blow to residents and families who are struggling to make ends meet.

“In a community full of fast-food options, and with some neighborhoods facing food deserts, Daily Table provided a healthy and affordable alternative. These stores will be sorely missed,” she said.

Jacquetta Van Zandt, the host of the Politics and Prosecco podcast, said that the closing of Daily Table marks more than the end of a grocery store.

“It’s the pause of a mission that nourished both bodies and hope. Boston loses not just a market, but a movement toward dignity, affordability and health for all,” she said.

Imari Paris Jeffries, president and CEO of Embrace Boston, said that access to affordable, nutritious food is a fundamental social determinant of health and losing that access is a setback for equity in the communities Daily Table served.

“This closure reflects a troubling pattern: Black and brown communities are too often the first to lose essential resources like pharmacies, grocery stores and health care services. Daily Table was doing critical work, and its absence will be deeply felt,” said Paris Jeffries.

Kimberly R. Lyle, CEO of Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, said that the closure of Daily Table is a serious blow to residents of Roxbury and Dorchester, where access to affordable, healthy food was already limited.

“The closure of Daily Table … follows the closures of Walgreens in Nubian Square and at the intersection of Quincy and Warren — further evidence that essential amenities are disappearing from communities that need them most, just as economic conditions are worsening. We urgently need elected officials, community-based organizations, and the community development sector to come together and explore sustainable models to preserve and expand access to critical neighborhood resources,” she said.

Some local elected officials also voiced their reactions to Daily Table stores closing in Greater Boston.

State Sen. Liz Miranda said Daily Table was a staple in our community and this loss is tremendous.

“While in the current budget we are taking up, Massachusetts Senate Democrats have offered increased investment in a variety of programs that aim to sustain and expand healthy food options for working class communities, we simply cannot keep up with the pace of planned cuts from the federal government,” she said.

Miranda added, “As an example, Daily Table lost its USDA aid last fall through the Double Up Food Bucks program, which offered SNAP recipients a 50% discount on certain foods. Congressional Republicans are planning massive cuts to SNAP, we are seeing a rollback in USDA programs, and no desire from this administration to ensure low-to-middle income families have access to healthy foods.”

Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said she is sad to see Daily Table leave our communities.

“My team worked alongside them to support fundraising and marketing efforts, and we know so many people depended on these stores for low-cost groceries,” she said. “These closures do not help in the battle against food deserts and food insecurity, issues we discussed with the Office of Food Justice this week during Council budget sessions. We will continue to find ways to support residents in need of groceries. Thank you to the Daily Table staff who showed up every day knowing they were part of a larger fight.”

If you or a loved one are seeking food resources in the city, Daily Table provided the following list:

Food Resources:

HELP WITH SNAP: Call the Project Bread Hotline: 1-800-645-8333

FIND A PANTRY: Use the Greater Boston Food Bank pantry finder. Put in your neighborhood, zip code, or address and pantries in the area will appear, with hours, descriptions, and contact information (if available). You can also use the “filter” button to help you find what you are looking for.

FREE OR LOW-COST FOOD:
Food Resource Guide, in various languages:

CITY OF BOSTON FOOD JUSTICE PAGE: boston.gov/departments/food-justice/food-resources