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Clover Food Lab, a vegetarian restaurant chain founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate Ayr Muir, announced that it was closing its Copley Square location in Boston's Back Bay "immediately" in a post made on its website on Thursday, Aug. 24.
"I’m sad and really shook up, and just bummed," read the statement. "This is the second Clover we’ve ever closed, the first was in Brookline Village. That one was peaceful. This one is violent and really stressful."
The post said the location was its worst-performing restaurant and that the business lost about $350,000 annually.
Clover Food Lab's troubles did not end there.
The business said its landlord, the Community Church of Boston, refused to work with the eatery to find a solution as the restaurant worked to improve its finances. Clover Food Lab said it had found a new tenant who could take over the space in March, but the church didn't respond.
Clover Food Labs said it stopped paying rent "to force the conversation," and the Community Church of Boston sued them in response.
"Clover was our main source of monthly income, accommodations were made for them during the pandemic resulted in very significant monetary losses during this time, continuing into the present with six months without rent, and for the foreseeable future," said the president of Community Church of Boston, Sandra Ruiz Harris.
"Since then it’s been an exhausting process with their lawyers only willing to talk to our lawyers," the statement continued. "Very sad to see the Community Church wasn’t willing to work with us on a solution that would help support the work we’re trying to do. ... And it’s really sad to see up close and personal something I’ve heard about: Landlords using the courts and contracts that were signed pre-pandemic to drain local operators."
The combined financial and legal troubles forced the business to close the Copley Square location immediately.
Fans of the chain can still enjoy its experimental dishes at its Prudential Center location, which is available for dine-in or delivery.
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