Greenhouse Grills Organic Edibles
by June 4, 2007 12:00 am 67 views
Jerrmy Gawthrope and Clayton Suttle heard a strange sound. It turned out to be the grumbling of a giant stomach. Northwest Arkansas was hungry for a healthy, high-quality dining experience.
The two started planning, and on Memorial Day 2006 opened the doors of the Greenhouse Grill in Fayetteville.
Startup expenses were about $40,000, and the owners cut costs by remodeling the building themselves.
The restaurant, which seats 50, specializes in all things local, organic and environmentally friendly, right down to the towels and soap.
Old grease from the kitchen gets a second life powering the engines of Gawthrope and Suttle’s bio-fueled cars.
“We try to operate the kitchen in a green way,” Gawthrope said.
All of the water used for drinking, cooking and ice is filtered, and the bar offers organic beer and wine. Free-range chicken from Berryville and local grass-fed beef end up on the plates alongside a rotating array of local, seasonal produce.
“We haven’t turned down a local farmer yet,” Gawthrope said.
Although conventional restaurant wisdom advises against changing the menu, business has been good. New dinner options are forthcoming, as well as a Saturday brunch.
Gawthrope estimates the business grosses about $35,000 per month in revenue from the dining room and catering.