Latest news with #SashaPurpura
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Daily Table Suddenly Closing All Locations
A popular healthy grocery chain started by a former Trader Joe's president suddenly closed all of its locations all of its locations. Ten years ago, a former Trader Joe's president founded Daily Table to make nutritious food affordable, but just a decade later the chain is closing all four of its locations after closing a fifth in 2024. 'It was not a decision we wanted to make,' Sasha Purpura, Daily Table's CEO, said in a statement to 'But we had no choice. It was an economic decision.' The chain that served over three million customers and returned over $16 million in savings to the community, issued a letter to its customers. 'We are deeply grateful to every person, and organization, who has supported our mission since 2015 — donors, suppliers, customers, volunteers, and community partners,' the Daily Table Board of Directors' letter said. 'Your belief in the power of dignity, health, and access has enabled us to impact hundreds of thousands of lives.' The chain plans to sell off its inventory over the next few days at a discounted price until they cease operations. Purpura revealed the grocery chain's economic woes began during the COVID-19 pandemic after customers started avoiding brick-and-mortar stores. The nonprofit's goal to provide food without passing the cost to the customers became more challenging following the rising cost of food. According to Daily Table lost its USDA aid last fall through the Double Up Food Bucks program, which provided SNAP customers a 50% discount on fresh produce purchases and half off nonfat and 1% milk. 'We have been trying to get through this challenging time, but in the end, we do not have the money,' Purpura said. 'It has been heart-wrenching for all of us.'Sign in to access your portfolio
Time Out
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
This non-profit grocery store chain in Boston is closing abruptly
After a decade of serving low-income communities across Greater Boston with deeply discounted, nutritious groceries, Daily Table is closing up shop. The nonprofit grocer, founded in 2012 by former Trader Joe's president Doug Rauch, announced Friday that it will shutter all four locations within days, citing unsustainable financial pressure. 'Without immediate funding to bridge us through 2025, we cannot continue,' the organization said in a public letter. 'After careful consideration, we have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that we can no longer continue operations. Daily Table offered a unique model: surplus and donated food from suppliers, combined with philanthropic support, allowed the stores to sell items at prices often 30-percent lower than the market rate. Customers could purchase fresh produce, staples and prepared meals using SNAP, all while shopping in a dignified, full-service environment. Since opening its first store in Dorchester in 2015, the chain has served more than 3 million people and returned over $16 million in savings to the community. Why is the Daily Table closing? A combination of COVID-era challenges, a sharp rise in food prices and a loss of USDA funding last year through the Double Up Food Bucks program proved too much to weather. Daily Table CEO Sasha Purpura told the chain's commitment to retaining staff and absorbing costs—even as operating expenses skyrocketed—took a toll. 'We have been trying to get through this challenging time, but in the end, we do not have the money,' she said. Stores in Dorchester, Roxbury and Salem closed Sunday, with the Cambridge location expected to follow shortly. All stores are currently liquidating inventory at steep discounts. Daily Table's leadership emphasized that while the nonprofit's current iteration is ending, its underlying mission isn't. In their letter, they noted that they 'remain as committed to the mission of Daily Table as ever' and believe 'this model can be replicated elsewhere.' Whether others will step in to fill the gap remains to be seen—but after 10 years, three million customers, and millions in community savings, Daily Table's impact won't disappear overnight.
