Business

Clover Food Lab puts itself on the market

After stabilizing its business post-bankruptcy, the company is now looking for a buyer to guide its next chapter.

The Clover Food Lab inside the Prudential Center. David L. Ryan / The Boston Globe

March 31, 2026 | 4:04 PM

1 minute to read

Clover Food Lab is seeking a new buyer, the company told Boston.com on Tuesday, a move that surfaced as the vegetarian fast-casual chain filed a state notice on Monday announcing plans to lay off 182 workers.

Clover said the filing was required under state law if a sale falls through, adding, “We simply want to comply with all regulations.”

In an email, the company said, “We are optimistic that Clover will continue to serve our locally sourced farm-to-table fast food in our company’s next chapter.”

The company operates 11 restaurants, a meal box delivery business, and a catering business. It no longer has any food trucks.

In 2008, founder Ayr Muir used his MIT engineering background and Harvard Business School training to launch Clover as a single food truck offering vegetable-forward meals meant to win over meat eaters, which slowly grew over time.

Clover filed for bankruptcy protection in 2023, blaming rising costs, slow sales, and difficulty in raising money from investors.

In its Chapter 11 filing, the company said it could no longer pay the lease on its new commissary, which served its expansion across New England and New York City, as well as several restaurants.

Also around the same time, Julia Wrin Poper replaced founder Muir as CEO, saying that they would try to use the bankruptcy to solve the issues.

In 2024, The Boston Globe reported that the company emerged from bankruptcy with only two fewer restaurants than in 2023. The company employed 240 people, down from 260 before the November 2023 bankruptcy filing.

The leadership team also said that it planned to add 50 more locations across New England over the next five years.