Meati Foods, a Boulder-based startup that markets its products as whole cuts made from mycelium, has been evicted from its Thornton manufacturing plant after local officials moved to collect unpaid taxes. Workers arriving at the 115,000-square-foot factory at 14831 Washington St. found notices posted on the doors, and county deputies have been at the site to inventory equipment. The sudden enforcement action leaves a high-profile alt-protein company with an uncertain production future and has local suppliers and workers bracing for what comes next.
Signs posted at the plant say Meati owes roughly $16 million in taxes, about $9.2 million to the city of Thornton for sales and use taxes and about $6.7 million to Adams County for property taxes, according to BusinessDen. The company, founded in 2017, had raised hundreds of millions of dollars in venture funding before a distress sale last year and has been shrinking operations since payroll and cash flow troubles surfaced in early 2025. Meati did not respond to requests for comment on the eviction, the outlet reported.
County Seizes Gear, Lines Up Auction
A Dec. 23 distraint warrant reviewed by industry reporters ordered the Adams County treasurer to seize and sell “goods, chattels and equipment” at the plant to cover $6,686,757.50 in unpaid property taxes, according to AgFunderNews. Michael Silva, the county’s tax audit and compliance chief, told BusinessDen that Adams County has hired an auctioneer to catalogue machinery and furnishings and that items will be up for bidding within 180 days.
How Meati Landed Here
Meati’s collapse followed a string of financial blows that turned a buzzy food-tech story into a cautionary tale. A lender reportedly swept most of the company’s cash after a covenant breach, the firm issued WARN notices, and it entered an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors in May 2025. Court filings and coverage show the business was then bought by Meati Holdings, led by Yasir Abdul, who said the buyer would stabilise operations and explore new business models, according to ProteinProductionTechnology. The new owner has said it is reassessing the Thornton plant and intends to extend the brand while evaluating ways to make production sustainable.
Legal And Tax Implications…