In a showdown over dairy, Lulu Green, the South Boston vegan restaurant that operated two stalls at Time Out Market in the Fenway, is exiting the food hall after new management asked it to start serving cow’s milk at its coffee counter. The move pulls the market’s only fully vegan vendor and cuts short an eight‑month run inside the hall.
Owner Mary Lattouf, who founded Lulu Green with her sister, said market representatives told her she would need to add dairy milk at Café Lulu, the restaurant’s coffee and bakery stall, if she wanted to remain Time Out Market’s exclusive coffee provider. Lattouf said she declined and chose to pull both Café Lulu and the main Lulu Green stall instead. Wednesday is the stalls’ last official day of business, as reported by The Boston Globe.
Owner Says Exclusivity Was Promised
Lattouf told reporters she accepted the Time Out Market spot in part because she had been promised an exclusive coffee slot. After local developer Samuels & Associates took over management, a consultant asked vendors to submit new menus, she said. “We thought it would be great for our guests to have something on the other side of town, and a place where we could get great exposure,” Lattouf explained, adding that being pressed to offer dairy felt out of step with Lulu Green’s plant‑based mission.
She also said the original South Boston restaurant will remain open and that plans are still on track for a Cambridge outpost this spring. Lattouf has offered Time Out Market employees positions at those locations, according to The Boston Globe.
New Management Steps In
Local developer Samuels & Associates stepped in at the end of January to take over operations and keep the 15‑vendor hall from closing, a save that drew local coverage. The firm has said it plans to work with restaurateurs to refresh the market and boost foot traffic, per CBS Boston. That push to broaden appeal and raise revenues forms the backdrop to the dispute over menu changes.
Why This Matters For Plant‑Based Vendors
Food halls typically curate their tenant mix to avoid overlap and to offer something for every kind of customer, which can put pressure on niche concepts to tweak their menus. Time Out bills its Boston market as a curated lineup of local concepts, including Café Lulu and Lulu Green, according to Time Out. Industry guides to food‑hall operations note that operators often standardize or broaden offerings in the hunt for a wider audience.
When a vendor’s core identity, in this case fully plant‑based coffee and pastries, runs into an operator’s drive to serve more customers, the clash can be quick and very public.
Lulu Green will keep serving at its South Boston address and is moving forward with the planned Cambridge location this spring. The South Boston hours and address are listed on the restaurant’s site, Lulu Green. For now, Fenway diners will find one fewer fully vegan option inside Time Out Market.
