Clover Fast Food Lab To Open

The term “fast food” doesn’t usually conjure up images of healthy sandwiches and homemade popovers, but Ayr Muir, owner of a popular MIT food truck, is hoping to change that when he opens the latest extension of Clover Food Lab, a restaurant at 7 Holyoke Street in Harvard Square.

The goal of the restaurant is simple, Muir explained, “Good food at a low price, and quickly.”

The prototype of the Clover Food Lab is the popular Clover Fast Food Truck, started in September of 2008, by Muir, an MIT graduate.

The truck was supposed to be a six month test of Muir and his associate’s dream of providing good, healthy, cheap fast food, but the crowds of foodies, students, businessmen, janitors, secretaries, and locals refused to see it go.

Clover serves all-vegetarian fare. Additionally, Muir said, “We probably serve more local, organic food than other restaurants in the area, but we don’t tell our customers.”

With the exception of mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard, Clover kitchens makes all of their own food, according to Muir.

But these things shouldn’t weigh heavily on the customer’s mind, Muir said.

“Nine out of ten of our customers are not vegetarians,” he said.

Ultimately, to the owners of Clover Fast Food, it should all come down to taste.

The restaurant’s menu will be very similar to the truck’s, with “delicious meals you can enjoy everyday without detriment to your health,” Muir said.

The lunch and dinner menus include four or five sandwiches. The restaurant will also offer soups in the spring, winter, and fall, and salads in the summer.

Special highlights include popovers and muffins made fresh every hour, and an assortment of flavored lemonades and iced teas.

Denise Jillson, Executive Director of the Harvard Square Business Association, expressed high hopes for the new restaurant.

“I think that Clover, because of its more casual food and more casual way of doing business, will get lots of people to come down to Holyoke street which is always good for all businesses in the area,” Jillson said.

The restaurant is currently under construction. Jillson says that the owners are hoping to open around late spring.