611 NorCal Jobs Cut Following Closure Of Meal Kit Plant

RICHMOND, CA — The Berlin-based company that touts itself as the largest meal kit provider in the nation will shutter a Bay Area production facility and lay off more than 600 employees, according to the state's employment department.

HelloFresh announced the permanent closure of its Richmond facility in an Oct. 10 letter to the California Employment Development Department.

HelloFresh notified its staff 60 days ahead of the closure through the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

Some 611 managers, maintenance personnel, production associates and more positions will be lost when the plant closes Dec. 11, according to California's employment department.

After an "extensive analysis" HelloFresh said it was determined that the plant is too old and has an outdated refrigeration system and an inefficient footprint, a spokeswoman for the company told MarketWatch.

HelloFresh will focus its efforts on its newer, more efficient sites and shift the production of EveryPlate to our other distribution centers, the spokeswoman said.

"The decision not to extend the lease is not a reflection of the local teams’ performance and we are grateful for their contributions," a spokesperson for the company told SFGATE. "We have a robust plan in place to ensure everyone is supported through this transition."

Workers at the same Richmond plant failed to unionize in December 2021 following a coronavirus outbreak in the summer of 2020 that ripped through 171 workers.

"This letter serves to regretfully advise the California Employment Development Department that Grocery Delivery E-Services USA, doing business as HelloFresh, will be undergoing a plant closure at its Richmond facility,” Ana Garcia, senior vice president people with HelloFresh USA, stated in the WARN letter, the Mercury News reported.