Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
While Grinberg had been planning to open a second outpost, their EV departure was not in the cards… and coming after their First Avenue building was sold twice during the pandemic. Organic Grill had until the end of the summer left on their lease, but the new landlord didn’t want them to stay and negotiated for an early release from the lease.
Grinberg owns the restaurant with his wife, Olga Grinberg, and stepdaughter Julia Chebotar.
The restaurant opened in August 2000 as an homage to Grinberg’s mother, who turned to vegan and macrobiotic foods when diagnosed with cancer. Grinberg, a former social worker, said that a macrobiotic and vegan diet extended his mother’s life by nearly 10 years.
Grinberg called this a bittersweet moment as he wanted to stay in the East Village. However, he is actively looking for another space in the neighborhood. We hope to see them here again soon.