Former Schwan’s delivery service, Yelloh, shutting down after 72 years as a Minnesota business

The Minnesota-born food delivery company with the famed yellow trucks will shut its doors in November after 72 years in business, the company announced Monday.

“The current Yelloh team has worked hard against external headwinds such as the nationwide staffing challenges and crushing food supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic,” board member Michael Ziebell said in a statement. “These challenges, combined with changing consumer lifestyles and competitive pressures that have been building for over 20 years, made success very difficult. Digital shopping has replaced the personal, at-the-door customer interaction that was the hallmark of the company.”

In Minnesota, 176 employees will lose their jobs as locations around the state shut down, according to a state filing. Bloomington-based Yelloh has about 1,100 employees nationwide.

Minnesota’s layoffs will begin Nov. 22.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we made the difficult decision to cease operations of Yelloh,” said CEO Bernardo Santana in a news release. “We are thankful to our many loyal customers and hard-working employees for everything they have done to support us.”

Last year, the company closed 90 delivery centers and laid off 750 people and followed up with more closures and layoffs this spring.