Customers saddened by closing of Mike’s Organic grocery business
GREENWICH — Days before Mike’s Organic’s store in Cos Cob closed for good, there was an air of bittersweet regret among those at the grocery store that specialized in organic and locally-produced food.
The Stamford operation and the flagship store at 600 E. Putnam Ave. in Cos Cob are both closing, with about 30 employees affected by the closure. Mike Geller, who founded Mike’s Organic in 2009 as a food delivery operation based out of Stamford, said the business was not sustainable.
“It’s definitely sad,” he said. “But it’s also a celebration of a lot of things — community and sustainability and good food. We built something really special. We built something people loved, and we touched a lot of people’s lives.”
On Friday, the store was crowded with shoppers who looked to say one last good-bye to the unique food business that sold Connecticut-raised produce and meat. Geller embraced many of his devoted customers. One shopper, a regular, showed Geller a photo of her newborn baby after giving him a hug.
Reflecting on his ambitions to create a grocery business embracing a farm-to-table model, Geller said, “The only thing you can do in life is just put everything you have into something you believe in, and that’s what I did here.”
The grocery business founder said the difficulties facing his project were insurmountable.
“As a businessman, you’re always going to face challenges,” Geller said. “It’s especially challenging in the food business.”
He said “significantly higherthan-anticipated construction costs, inflation, food prices rising at the highest rate in decades” and other factors forced the closing.
The store opened in April of 2023 . and it created a strong visual statement along the Post
Road. The building was clad in stained Douglas fir that evoked a barn, and inside, a bright and airy atmosphere prevailed under a v-shaped roof. The parking lot was decorated with rusted metal beams with hanging lights and dozens of trees.
Customers said Friday they were sad to see the business close. The last day is Sunday.
“I’m so upset,” said loyal customer Diane Gordon. “Mike’s a great guy, and I loved the organics. I’ve been eating organic for years. I liked that everything was farm fresh.”
Gordon said special events at the store, showcasing different farming operations and food businesses, added a vibrant note to the community.
Another customer, Ray Foote, said he felt bad about the store’s demise and praised Geller’s ambitions.
“Anytime an entrepreneur closes those doors, it’s sad. Entrepreneurs are the engines of this country,” he said.
Geller said he had no immediate plans about what to do next. “I’m going to catch my breath for a little bit,” he said.
He said he hoped to find another opportunity to work in the food business in the future. There were no initial plans for the site, which previously operated as a pancake restaurant and a patio and outdoor furniture store.
Geller, a Greenwich resident who attended Greenwich Country Day School and Brunswick School, worked in advertising and event planning before getting into the organic food and delivery business, operating from a warehouse in Stamford.
“A lot of folks said that he fed them though COVID when they couldn’t get food anywhere else,” said a store representative, Michelle Calarco, and dozens of messages have poured in on social media offering their well wishes to Geller and the staff.
The store was a favorite of celebrity chef and tastemaker Martha Stewart. She wrote on a social media post addressed to Geller, “You have been a pioneer in the farm to table movement and your offerings will be missed by many of us always looking for ‘good things.’ “
Geller said he planned to spend Sunday grilling food outside the store and chatting with customers.
The Greenwich and Stamford food and grocery sector is a highly competitive one, with
numerous gourmet stores offering high-quality cheese, meat, bread, fish and produce
within a short driving distance, as well as a number of upscale supermarkets.