Ok, put your tin foil hats on. Everytable was founded on a very positive mission – to make good, quality food more affordable for communities in which they operate. I’ve tried it myself, even had weekly deliveries for months at a time given how easy it was for work lunches or dinners. Just pop it in the microwave and you’re good to go. I got tired of the variety so I stopped doing it.

I see these storefronts ALL OVER LA, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single person eating at them. How can they possibly remain in business all over the city with very little business? Even if it’s mostly fueled by pickup/delivery orders as I was doing, it can’t be as profitable to run these brick and mortars.

Either they are bleeding their VC money aggressively, and have been for a long time, or it’s a front for some criminal conspiracy. Thoughts?

by McSteezy

22 Comments

  1. toad_witch

    i eat at everytable! i see 1 or 2 other customers in there sometimes

  2. Jasranwhit

    They are like those Chakra LA psychic places that never have any customers.

  3. Federal-Custard2162

    I think most people just order it delivered, so you don’t see people going in as much. Me and my roommate get 3-5 meals each every two weeks but we’ve never been in a storefront. If these storefronts were in more walkable areas, maybe there would be a higher chance of seeing people inside? I think for people wanting a hot fast food meal, this feels like a step down. Like a 7Eleven where you grab a burrito and microwave it yourself.

  4. DeathByBamboo

    Many businesses are just bleeding through their initial loans and investments. That’s why a lot of them go out of business after 3-5 years when their loans start coming due. Some business owners think they’ll hit it big and get bought or become massively profitable before their loans come due, so they bank on that. And then when it doesn’t happen, they go bankrupt.

  5. TyrionJoestar

    The one in cal state la is probably propping up the whole damn organization lol

  6. thekevingreene

    I fucking love every table. They have a surprising number of dairy free options and the food is relatively healthy (and tasty). Fridays often have 50% off deals too. I rarely see people in them tho.. I’m sure most of their money comes from pickup/delivery.

  7. TourPuzzleheaded1218

    I don’t know why I get so bloated after eating this. If you look at the ingredients list, it’s incredibly long. I’m glad they are bringing fresher foods to low income communities but it’s still full of all the fillers

  8. rat_cheese_token

    i love everytable, it’s mostly grab n go, so don’t really stay there. food is great!

  9. ajcthefunksonme

    By the looks of their logo it seems that they do a lot of things under the table

  10. I believe they’re bleeding money. But I’d say 99% of their business is takeout or delivery. When the one by our office was there, it was a relatively cheap lunch option that we’d bring back to eat. A bunch of folks were pretty sad that they closed because lunch around here is close to $20 no matter what.

  11. cocainebane

    People who eat there from my office are all making 130k+

  12. I think most people take it to eat at home. I always do.

    But you’re right: They have a lot of physical locations for a business that is primarily subscription deliveries, and it doesn’t seem like it would be sustainable.

  13. BlasphemousHumors

    The in-store tables and chairs definitely seem like props to project that they’re using the real estate as something other than a giant vending machine. Never seen anyone actually sit down.

    The food is decent, but the locations feel like they’re wasting a huge amount on rent when they really should just be a counter or fridge or (again) vending machine inside another business. It’s like Vons/Pavilions/Albertsons has their “Ready Meals” fridge.

    If they got a contract to co-locate inside Staples or Best Buy or something else that’s normally considered a not-food-place, it would be an excellent business model.

  14. My guess is and I know this used to be true they would do really massive and regular catering for like meals on wheels, school districts, hospitals etc. I used to be in touch with those guys regularly. Never got the impression that anything wasn’t above board rather nice folks.

  15. CrystalizedinCali

    I think you are correct that they don’t need the brick and mortar really and could likely operate cheaper in a space that’s just for delivery / pick-up but my guess is that they maybe are still on leases so they can’t do the switch? My company uses them for the catering for their monthly meetings.

  16. thebarryconvex

    I don’t really know, but there was one that opened on Venice next to a Benny’s my wife and I would eat at a bunch (don’t judge me). We would have reason to be there at different times in a day, weekday/ weekend, whole thing, and over a span of several months not only never saw anyone in there, it seemed to never actually be open. It just sat there with the lights out and chairs up and what seemed like stocked fridges day, night, weekday, weekend.

    Eventually it seemed to open up, we don’t really go to that Benny’s anymore, but I agree I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a human in one of the several I’ve seen in the city. It’s odd. I don’t know if its a front or explicable by some element of their business I’ve never researched or considered but yeah. We noticed the same thing.

  17. dupedairies

    I would go all the time pre-pandemic.  They had a really good kale chicken ceasar 

  18. 2to5wordsis20char

    My work uses everytable for our clients in motels. We have a few motels with over 50 clients in them and they get deliveries twice a week. Other housing agencies use them as well.

    My GF’s work gets everytable twice a month for their employees.

    I have a few friends that use everytable a couple of times a month because they work a lot and don’t always have time to cook. I’ll grab something from there a couple of times a month as well. It’s not the greatest food, but it’s good. I’d rather eat that than at fast food places.

  19. notjenny_

    When I was at my job 3 years ago that was fully in office, I would go every Monday and stock up on lunch meals for the week. They knew me by name and always threw in cookies and drinks. I kinda miss it.

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