Clover To Reopen Zimmer Hall Location as Harvard Square Outpost Remains Closed

Clover Food Lab’s Zimmer Hall location will reopen on June 22 — less than two weeks after the Boston-area vegetarian chain announced it was halting all retail operations — the company told customers Monday.

The chain announced in May that all 12 locations were set to shutter. But after an unnamed investor stepped in last week, the fast-food company reversed course and reopened five locations on Tuesday.

The Zimmer Hall location — in the building formerly known as the Harvard Science Center — will reopen in alignment with the first day of Harvard Summer School.

But the Harvard Square outpost, which has yet to reopen, remains in lease negotiations with the University, according to a Clover employee. The timeline for its potential reopening remains unclear.

A Clover spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations. The University also declined to comment.

All Harvard Square employees were offered employment at open locations in Cambridge and Boston, the Clover spokesperson confirmed.

Clover — which has served Harvard affiliates in the Square and Zimmer Hall since 2016 and 2017, respectively— is a vegetarian fast-casual chain originally founded by Harvard Business School graduate Ayr Muir in 2008 as a food truck near MIT’s campus.

The chain cited inflationary costs and economic challenges as reasons for its decision to shutter after more than 17 years in business, before the investor’s last-ditch effort threw the company a lifeline. The company has declined to name the investor.

Clover’s return after a brief closure went largely unnoticed by students and staff — and news of the revival drew mixed reactions.

“It’d be really nice to have a more reliable and overall better quality source of food in the Science Center,” Linden A. McCarl ’28 said. “I haven’t noticed the best hygiene at the other location on campus, so it soured my opinion on the franchise.”

Addison K. Stetson, who works for Harvard University Information Technology in the basement of the building, said the news of the location’s initial closure surprised her.

“I was confused originally, because when I came in here that place always seemed to be super bumping — people were always there, it was very lively,” Stetson said. “So I think for it to shut down, it was kind of sad, and it was also unexpected. It seemed a little weird to me.”

Some students also pointed to the high cost of the chain’s meals and to alternatives they would prefer to the fast-casual chain.

Adnan Bin Alamgir ’29, a Crimson Editorial editor, said students should be able to use BoardPlus for a restaurant in Zimmer Hall, arguing that the chain provides subpar returns for high prices.

“The reason I never had Clover was because it was very expensive, so I think it was not very good value, good return for the money that they charge for the food,” he said.

“I do think there is a need for a good restaurant to be at the Science Center, because there’s a lot of people studying in Cabot, and it’s really nice just to have something that’s affordable and healthy very close by,” he added. “There needs to be a good restaurant here, but maybe not Clover, because it’s not very useful for students.”

Clover’s spokesperson wrote in a statement that the company was “deeply connected to the University,” pointing to its founder, executives, and student workers who are affiliated with Harvard.

“We work hard to keep prices in-line with student budgets, and would love to explore new ways to connect Harvard students with New England’s amazing farms,” the spokesperson wrote.

To Stetson, the restaurant offered a familiar staple amid the Square’s diverse dining options.

“I kind of liked the Clover,” she said. “I thought the Clover was a nice little place, but I totally could see how people may want something else.”

Others said the return of Clover to Zimmer Hall provided an accessible, reliable option for students passing through.

“I feel like I’m always stumbling into class, and I need a caffeine pickup,” Emma Zhang ’29 said. “While I might be for other coffee shops, sometimes you just need something, so I’m glad that it’s there in that sense.”

—Staff writer Theresa F. Bartelme can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at theresabartelme.15. Follow her on X @theresabartelme.

—Staff writer Uy B. Pham can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at ubp.88. Follow him on X @uybpham.