By Jennifer Farnsworth
Sweet Beet Bistro, which closed its business in Greenwich, plans to re-open at a spot in Glens Falls in the spring.
According to bistro owner Johanna von Geldern, they are looking to re-open by Mother’s Day at the latest.
Von Geldern has found a way to create a bistro that values farm-to-table food and the community where it is grown. It’s a concept that she says she learned on the job . She is excited to bring it to her new location next year.
When COVID-19 hit in March, von Geldern said they closed their doors in Greenwich. With capacity limited to 50 percent and without outdoor seating, she said the business could not have survived. She then decided it was time to relocate in order to keep the business going.
In Glens Falls, she said, the new space will be slightly larger with its own bar area, a separate dining room and extensive patio space.
“We will have a full liquor license and craft cocktails with fresh herbs like lavender and syrups made from scratch like ginger syrup. Better kitchen space will give us more ability to play with the menu,” said von Geldern.
With Greenwich being a rural location with a population of about 2,000, von Geldern said she really tried to focus on making the bistro have community ties.
“I came up with a program called ‘community membership.’ where people could purchase a membership in the restaurant and earn a credit toward 10 percent on their house account. It helped me survive winters. It created an interesting connection between the restaurant and our customers who were members,” said von Geldern.
A graduate of the College of Saint Rose, von Geldern received her master’s degree in education and had a career in teaching elementary school for over 16 years. As the standardized testing pressures got more intense, she said the gap between her philosophical beliefs and mainstream pressures of standardized testing motivated her to make a change.
“I sold a property and began searching for a small business that I could purchase and run, to completely change my career and become an independent business owner. My girls and I had always daydreamed of running a B&B or owning a small café,” said von Geldern.
She began searching for places to possibly open up and while visiting her daughter she discovered the Greenwich property, which had been operating as a bistro.
“Once I made the commitment everything seemed to fall into place, From finding a friend to rent my townhome within 24 hours, to selling my car, and then finding my amazing chef. There was a one-month transition into ownership,” said von Geldern.
One of the biggest challenges, von Geldern said, is that she had to learn about her own strengths and weaknesses, particularly in hiring and firing employees.
“Part of the main philosophy I had in opening Sweet Beet was the energetic awareness of creating a restaurant atmosphere of making people feel welcome and cared about, understanding the energy of where the food was coming from and how it was raised and handled, and the energy and attitude of the employees working to prepare the food and serve the food in an intimate space,” said von Geldern.
One thing that will not change is Sweet Beet’s philosophy on using the high quality local foods, said von Geldern.
“We will continue to offer a solid variety for special eaters with vegan options, gluten free options and also plan on bringing back our highly demanded grass fed burger from St. Croix Farm Inc. And having a staff with positive dedicated energy, who feel a sense of ownership in the business will still be a key component.
“Our core staff is coming with us to the new spot and with a culinary school nearby. We hope to harness the potential passion of students who want to study with our amazing chef. We miss our loyal customers and can’t wait for the day we have a grand reopening celebration,” said von Geldern.
There is information about Sweet Beet Bistro at sweetbeetbistro.com.
