Reading's Green Tomato Kitchen To Close Friday

READING, MA — The Green Tomato Kitchen in Reading will close until further notice on Friday, ending a nearly 20-year run serving comfort food in town, owner John Ryan announced on Monday.

A combination of fluctuating product costs and product shortages are prompting the closure, Ryan told Patch.

“It’s too unpredictable,” he said.

The Green Tomato opened in 2003 and has served customers since then, drawing loyal fans and winning acclaim for its takeout offerings in particular.

The Green Tomato never ran into tough times for much of its history to date, Ryan said. That changed in 2020, though, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restaurant closed for two months as the coronavirus spread in the spring of 2020. When it reopened, a large chunk of the Green Tomato’s catering business was gone.

Ryan turned to federal aid, receiving a $150,000 pandemic disaster relief loan from the Small Business Administration. But a clerical error delayed that money's arrival, as reported by the WBZ I-Team at the time.

Nearly two years later, Ryan said current economic conditions are driving his restaurant to close without a clear reopening date.

“Right now, we could close for the whole winter and then next year, things could finally turn around,” Ryan said. “Do I think so? No. But you never know.”

Ryan said he is frustrated by some industry shifts that he said have put business owners like him in difficult situations in recent months and years. Battling unstable markets for the supplies he needs, Ryan said he has not wanted to pass on sudden price hikes to customers.

“I’m not going to start changing prices and doing this and doing that,” he said. “I don't operate like that.”

Indeed, the problems have been widespread, forcing restauranteurs across the country to grapple with supply chain challenges and product price increases.

New York Times reporting in August documented industry price changes for everything from wine, to meat to kitchen hardware.

Back in Reading, Ryan said he's already heard warnings about limited availability of turkeys in the upcoming Thanksgiving season. The turkeys that may be available, Ryan said, will almost certainly cost substantially more than in typical years.

Meanwhile, what was once a $40 pack of chicken has seen its price rise as high as $170, Ryan said. He said he's now paying $90 for those same packages.

Ryan said he's also seen incidents where the actual amount of product delivered for a given price has decreased.

Dubbed "shrinkflation" by some economists, Ryan said he's seen the trend manifest in products ranging from napkins, to desserts.

Looking to the future, Ryan said he is concerned about the restaurant industry at large.

“I don’t know when this is going to end,” he said.

Having made the decision to close, Ryan said that he wants to get the word out to customers holding gift cards. Anyone with a gift card can visit to redeem that gift cards or receive a refund, Ryan said.

“That’s the least I can do,” he said.

The Green Tomato is located at 42 High Street. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. daily through the end of the week.