Why 24 Carrots in Tempe is closing

Sasha Raj started 24 Carrots, a vegan bakery, juice bar, and restaurant, in 2008 in Chandler. She survived her first year in business, a huge milestone for any small business; then her fifth, her 10th, a move to Tempe, and a pandemic that forced her to close her dining room for months, quickly develop a system to accept online orders, and continue to take care of her customers and her employees. Despite all of those everyday challenges, Raj said her restaurant will close in a matter of weeks — tentatively set for Dec. 10 — after her business lease was unexpectedly not renewed.