Clover will bring its vegetarian sandwiches and chickpea fritters to the Back Bay this fall
The local chain is taking over the old Globe Bar & Café location.
Fast casual vegetarian chain Clover Food Lab is opening its first new location in almost three years, announcing on Friday that it will debut its 13th outpost on Boylston Street in the Back Bay this fall.
The chain, which MIT grad Ayr Muir launched in 2008 as a food truck, has gained a dedicated fanbase over the past 11 years with its vegetarian sandwiches, salads, platters, and bowls. (It was also the first Boston business to offer the now-ubiquitous Impossible Burger, a plant-based product that mimics the taste and texture of meat.) There are now 12 Clover locations in the Boston area, including outposts in Kendall Square, East Cambridge, and downtown.
The Back Bay is rife with similar fast casual businesses like Sweetgreen, Dig Inn, and Cava, but Muir said in a press release that moving into the neighborhood has always been part of the plan.
“We’ve known for a long time that the Back Bay would be an amazing location for us to open a restaurant but we had to wait patiently for the right opportunity,” Muir said. “We have been deliberate and careful in our expansion. We’re obsessed with little details, and making sure our tech supports our ambition. But most of all we want to make sure we build meaningful relationships with our customers.”
Clover will take over the old Globe Bar & Café location, which moved down the street in 2018. Following the Globe’s move, the 565 Boylston space was briefly occupied by Minigrow, another fast casual chain, before it closed earlier this year.
When the new Clover location opens in late September or early October, it will offer its usual vegetarian lineup including chickpea fritters, rosemary fries, hibiscus tea, and breakfast bowls from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Clover Food Lab; 565 Boylston St., Boston; opening fall 2019; cloverfoodlab.com
