Daily table, Boston for non -profit grocer, shutters after a decade

Daily Table, a non -profit local grocery chain that offered buyers fresh food that they could more easily afford, announced on Friday that it closed its doors after a business decade. Residents of Cambridge, Boston, Roxbury and Salem are already beginning to feel its loss.

Molly Warner, dietician of Dorchester and owner of hand in hand, said that she was saddened to learn that Daily Table ceases operations.

“During a season when Boston residents are subject to financial and political stress, the loss of a community gem like Daily Table will not go unnoticed, especially for our most vulnerable residents,” said Warner.

Daily Table’s board of directors said that the closure was “heartbreaking” and “not an easy decision” in a letter to customers on Friday. “We are proud to have served more than 3 million customers, returning more than $ 16 million in the community while removing obstacles to healthy foods.”

The grocery chain has cited a certain number of reasons for its closure, including the challenges caused by the COVVI-19 pandemic, “historically high levels of increased food prices” and a lack of funding sufficient to stay afloat.

Jonathan Berk, resident of the city center of Salem, said that the closure would be difficult to bear taking into account the increase in the cost of living.

“Everything seems to continue to increase every day. For people who live with tight budgets, not being able to stretch their dollars with grocery store every week will simply reduce the amount of food they are able to provide their families,” said Berk. “It will have a major impact on the ability of people to simply put food on their table.”

Berk said that Daily Table’s closure is also a great loss for members of the downtown Salem community, because there are no other options for fresh walking products.

“This store served a much more goal than lower costs, it also served a desert of fresh food here,” said Berk. “(Daily table) was really the only place in the city center or near the city center where you could get fresh bananas or fresh fruits and vegetables for this day.”

V. Saragoni, a Salem resident, shared similar concerns.

“I am thinking of many friends and neighbors who may or may not lead or have access to a car,” said Saragoni. “Many people will have to drive to the grocery store, which will only add additional financial pressure to these purchases.”

Teddy Beamer, a former Cambridge resident, said that he had bought Daily’s central place tables a handful of times as a student in budget.

“The only other grocery options in my neighborhood were H Mart and Whole Foods, which are more expensive. And Target, which can be cheaper but has a limited selection of products,” said Beamer.

With the combination of affordability and quality, Beamer said that no other store in his neighborhood had the same real sense of the community.

“I think there should be more programs that bring healthy and affordable food to people who need it,” said Beamer. “It’s a shame that (Daily table) is closed, there was a feeling of a very strong community.”

The four locations of Daily Table will sell their inventory remaining in the coming days and all the items will be deeply reduced until the operations are closed.

Sabrina Lam can be contacted at sabrina.lam@globe.com.