Viral Reddit post mocking $22 grilled cheese sandwich sank Bay Area shop, owner says

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Kendra Kolling, the founder of the artisanal sandwich shop The Farmer's Wife in Marin County, California, said she had to shut down both of her locations after a Reddit post mocking the shop's high prices, including $22 for a grilled cheese sandwich, went viral. The post triggered a flood of negative reviews that hurt the business's visibility and customer traffic, compounding existing financial pressures from rising costs.

Why it matters

The closure of The Farmer's Wife highlights the challenges facing small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area, where high commercial rents, labor costs, and grocery prices have squeezed profit margins, even for specialty food shops. The viral Reddit backlash also demonstrates the power of social media to quickly turn public opinion against a business, even one focused on quality ingredients and artisanal preparation.

The details

A Redditor posted a photo of The Farmer's Wife menu, which included items like a $34 "Steak + Eggs" sandwich and a $32 hot pastrami sandwich. The post mocked the high prices, with comments calling the $22 grilled cheese "$10 for a slice of cheese, and $10 for a slice of bread." The negative attention led to a flood of one-star reviews on Yelp and Google, which Kolling said sharply hurt the shop's visibility and customer traffic, making it harder to recover financially.

• The viral Reddit post occurred last year.
• The Farmer's Wife's Sebastopol location closed in September.
• The remaining Point Reyes location closed earlier this month.

What they’re saying