Local grocery will close unless new owners swoop in

The Root Cellar started in this converted garage in Old Louisville. It eventually closed and operated solely in its Germantown location.

Some sad news from a great local grocer: The Root Cellar will close at the end of the year unless new owners take over the business.

I’ve been a fan of The Root Cellar since it opened in Old Louisville in 2011. The small space was packed with local produce, meat and dairy products. At its peak, owner Ron Smith added a second location in Germantown in 2012 and even created a Kickstarter project to fund a mobile Root Cellar to bring produce to underserved areas in Louisville. Eventually, Ron closed the Old Louisville store and operated The Root Cellar out of the Germantown location.

On Saturday, Ron posted on The Root Cellar’s Facebook page that he will close the store at the end of the year if he can’t find someone to invest in the business. Here’s the post:

As many of you may already know, I have been trying to find some way to keep The Root Cellar around. I have discussed various ideas with some potential investors, but I have not fully committed to the process of selling the business. Well, now I have. I can no longer sustain the financial or physical burden of operating this store. I regret to have to tell you all, that I will be closing the store at the end of this year, unless a buyer or investor is found to take over the daily operation of the store. Any reasonable offer or investment scheme will be considered. I will be open regular hours through this winter and I look forward to serving each and every one of you. Thank you so much for your continued commitment to the store, the farmers and me. If you would like to meet to discuss purchasing the store, please email me at ron@louisvillerootcellar.com.

This makes me all kinds of sad. Ron is a great guy who always had the community’s interests at heart. He wanted to make fresh, local produce available to everyone, no matter what neighborhood you live in. I loved shopping at The Root Cellar when I lived in Old Louisville. It was good to know exactly which farm my eggs came from, to have a variety of seasonal produce around which to plan a meal, and to chat with an owner who loved food and agriculture even more than I do.

I’m not at Oprah-level baller status (yet), but I’m sure there’s someone out there who would be interested in taking over The Root Cellar. Ron included his contact info in his Facebook post, so get in touch with him if you want to invest. I’d sure hate to see The Root Cellar go.

Bits and Pieces: Maido, Urbanspoon and other Louisville food news from the web, 12.17.12

Closings

Si Won Yu, the chef/owner of Maido Essential Japanese Cuisine and Sake Bar, died last month. The restaurant has since closed. (Eater Louisville)

News

Charim Korean Restaurant and Guaca Mole were Kentucky’s two most popular new restaurants by Urbanspoon. (Eater Louisville, Urbanspoon)
There are some zoning issues with Beer Engine, the brewery that’s supposed to be headed to Germantown in mid-2013. (Courier-Journal)
Food & Wine magazine says Harvest on East Market Street is one of the top restaurants in the country for Southern food. (Insider Louisville, Food & Wine)

Etc.

Like Bloody Marys? North End Café now has a Bloody Mary Bar and Happy Hour during brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 1 – 5 p.m. (North End Café Facebook page)
Here’s a peek at the restaurants that will participate in Louisville’s restaurant week, which will take place Feb. 22 through March 3, 2013. (Business First of Louisville)

Bits and Pieces: Banh Mi Hero, Andrew Zimmern and other Louisville food news from the web, 12.10.12

News

Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc. wants $10 million from the city for “an artisan distillery, a retail store and other tourist-oriented activities” that the company is developing on West Main Street. The project is called the Evan Williams Experience. Fancy. (Courier-Journal)
Louisville-based online company FoodCalc has launched EveryoneEat, an iPhone and Android app to help people with chronic illnesses make better choices about their meals when they go out to eat. (Business First of Louisville)

Openings

A new Vietnamese restaurant called Banh Mi Hero has opened in the Highlands. You can get banh mi sandwiches, Vietnamese-style tacos and jasmine rice cups. (Consuming Louisville)
The owners of Hammerheads in Germantown plan to open a new restaurant on Lexington Road called Grind House in January. Grind House will feature burgers made of meat such as wild boar, ostrich, duck, venison and elk. (Business First of Louisville)

Etc.

Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel series Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World (wow, I just said that guy’s name a lot) was in Louisville recently to tape a segment. He also stopped by the Eater Louisville Launch party. (Eater Louisville)