GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Green Well, a Grand Rapids restaurant on a popular stretch of Cherry Street, will soon serve its last meal.
On Friday, the restaurant’s parent company announced the closure in a press release, saying it had made the “difficult decision” not to renew its lease.
“The Green Well has contributed to the dining renaissance in Grand Rapids and has served our community well,” said James Berg, CEO of Essence Hospitality Group. “We are incredibly proud of our guests and team members alike who made it a community favorite.”
The Green Well will close on Saturday, August 16.
“I won’t miss the last two years, but I’ll miss all the people,” Berg said to me on Friday.
While EGH’s other brands — Bistro Bella Vita, Lucy’s and grove — have performed well in the post-pandemic restaurant economy, Berg says The Green Well has lagged behind.
“After two decades of running this restaurant, it just felt right,” he said about the decision not to renew the lease.
In 2004, Berg and a business partner won a wine trip to the Livermore Valley in California. While traveling, they wrote down ideas for a new restaurant concept.
A gastropub in an urban neighborhood. Grilled cheese and ham. Mac and cheese. Retro.
The Green Well was born.
“The restaurant revolved around the Ratatouille moment,” Berg said. “Where he’s having dinner and has a tear in his eye because he thinks back to his childhood.”
Now, the gastropub’s end is one of several closures in Grand Rapids.
READ MORE: Creston neighborhood 'confused' after taproom's closing
As of August 5, twelve storefront businesses in downtown Grand Rapids have closed in 2025 and 11 have opened, according to Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI).
“Dining habits in the city have changed. People don’t go out as much,” Richard App, the retail retention and attraction specialist for DGRI, said in a previous interview with FOX 17.
READ MORE: Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. talks restaurant industry with FOX 17
Over the past two days at The Green Well, Berg and others from EHG have met with restaurant staff, letting them know the reason for the closure through face-to-face conversation.
"How would I want to be treated if I was being told my restaurant was being closed?" Berg said.
The operating hours for The Green Well's final days are as follows:
- Friday, August 8: 4-10 pm
- Saturday, August 9: 4-10 pm
- Sunday, August 10: 4-9 pm
- Monday, August 11: Closed
- Tuesday, August 12: 4-9 pm
- Wednesday, August 13: 4-9 pm
- Thursday, August 14: 4-9 pm
- Friday, August 15: 4-10 pm
- Saturday, August 16: 4-10 pm
“If you want to make sure you're going to a local restaurant, as opposed to a chain restaurant, I think that will go a long way to help your community, because that's where the jobs are,” Berg said.
