As a grower of food, you likely understand the desire to use every little bit that your garden provides you, but the U.S. as a whole isn’t as mindful. More than 40 percent of the nation’s food enters the waste stream, according to Feeding America. That’s why former Trader Joe’s exec Doug Rauch launched Daily Table, a nonprofit grocery store in Boston that sells food surpluses or items that are nearing their expiration dates at a very reduced price.
The focus of the store is to provide nutritious food options in areas of the community where people can’t afford or don’t have access to healthy options.
“We work with a variety of generous partners who provide donated—or deeply discounted—food that fits the nutritional focus of the store,” Daily Table states on their website. Food is currently provided from 19 grocers, farms and producers, including Whole Foods and Newman’s Own.
In addition to providing deeply discounted produce and staple goods nearing the sell-by date (such as 50-cent apples and a dozen eggs for $1), the grocer has an on-site kitchen where the staff produces a rotating menu of prepared foods.
The concept has been in the works since 2013, when Rauch announced his plan for Daily Table, and finally came to fruition yesterday when the store opened its doors to the public for the first time. While the Boston-area store is currently the only location, Rauch plans to open several others in the area, as well as expand to Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
