Residents — and folks from far away — contributed well over $1 million. The century-old food stand by Old Mill Beach was saved from possible destruction (and modern construction, as a private home).
The new place would open soon, with an important nod to the past: Old Mill Grocery & Deli. That was its original name,
Most recently, it had been known as Joey’s by the Shore. For 2 decades before that, it was Elvira’s.
For much of the second half of the 20th century, it was called Kenny’s (for owner Ken Montgomery).
Or by its nickname: Grub’s.
“06880” has posted many photos, from the building’s earliest days to its most recent.
But we’ve never seen this shot before. To many generations of Westporters, this was Grub’s.
It was taken around 1976. But really, it’s timeless.
(Photo/Clayton Liotta via Facebook)
(Remember Grub’s? Consider a gift in its (his) honor, to “06880.” Please click here — and thank you!)
For nearly 100 years, through name changes (Old Mill Grocery, Kenny’s, Elvira’s, Joey’s by the Shore) and changing trends (market, deli, ice cream shop), a small wooden building has served Old Mill neighbors, beachgoers, joggers, bicyclists, workers, and anyone else passing by.
It closed several months ago. By New Year’s, its fate looked bleak. No one was interested in reopening a business. The location — yards from the water, at the foot of Compo Hill — made it ripe for a residential buyer.
Like the restaurant-turned-home diagonally across the street, it looked like the small lot would soon be filled with a huge house.
But now it seems the Old Mill Grocery will live again.
Elvira’s, in 2016.
A few dozen neighbors — and other who grew up nearby, or remember the importance of the store, or just want to preserve a bit of old Westport — have united to help save the landmark.
And they’re doing it in a creative, innovative, very win-win way. Their priority is to save the café/market, then form a non-profit organization (the application is already underway). The goal is to break even, and serve the community.
And they’ll do it by offering training and employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
All they need is $1.3 million. But they need it by April 1.
The good news: They’re more than three-quarters of the way there. Without any public announcement, $975,000 has already been pledged.
Balloons will soon be seen again at Elvira’s.
The core group that’s done the heavy lifting is a who’s who of Westport: Ian Warburg, Chris Tait, Jim Hood, Emily Ashken Zobl and Tommy Febbraio.
All except Hood grew up in Westport (but he and his family have lived by Compo Beach for 26 years). Tait is an RTM member, and lives nearby. All 5 are deeply committed to saving this local institution.
For months, owners Hal and Betsy Kravitz shopped the property to 30 or so potential business operators. None were interested.
Discouraged, the couple felt they had no choice but to sell to a residential developer — against their wishes. When Hood, Tait, Warburg and others heard the news, they swung into action.
The Kravitzes listened. They wanted to work with the neighborhood group. But they could not wait forever. They proposed a fair, reasonable — but relatively quick — deadline for funding.
The group got commitments. They began the 501(c)(3) process.
Febbraio — a 1970 Staples High School graduate who was raised near Longshore — was a key link. A successful restaurateur who knows his way around Fairfield County real estate, he offered advice about the business, as well as an introduction to Fairfield County Bank. They agreed to back the project.
The non-profit component is also crucial. Eighty percent of disabled people are unemployed, Hood says. The market can empower intellectually and physically disabled people, and others who are often marginalized, not just with employment and training, but by buying products from Sweet P Bakery and The Porch, which also hires and trains disabled workers.
That giving-back-to-the-community model offers a nod, in a way, to Kenny Montgomery, the store’s proprietor from the 1950s through early ’80s. When he died, longtime customers were stunned to learn he had bequeathed $500,000 to the Westport YMCA.
Before Elvira’s, the store at the foot of Compo Hill was owned by Ken Montgomery.
Now comes outreach to the broader community. The organizers are seeking commitments from others, to reach the funding goal. A GoFundMe page went live yesterday (click here).
The hope is for a soft launch this summer. As the business grows, they’ll respond to what customers want and need.
And what will the new store be called?
The final name has not been decided. But a strong favorite is Old Mill Grocery.
It’s simple. It’s historic — the name of the very first market there.
And its initials are perfect for this community effort, to help save a local institution from the developers’ claws.
That’s right: OMG.
(For more information, or to discuss a major contribution to the project, email Jim Hood and Ian Warburg: SaveElvirasMarket@gmail.com.)
That may not ring a bell. But this name for the property does: Elvira’s.
For 2 decades, the little store opposite Old Mill has been a big part of the beachfront community. It sells groceries, sandwiches, salads, pizza, gyros, ice cream and coffee, sure.
But it’s also a community center. It’s a place to meet, greet, eat; share gossip and snacks; hang out and hang loose.
Which makes it a far cry from its predecessor.
Kenny Montgomery’s store.
Kenny Montgomery owned the store, before the Yiozonakos family. He relocated there from the corner of South Compo and Greens Farms Road, when I-95 was built.
He sold the basics: milk, eggs and cigarettes. The store was dusty, and smelled bad. You went there only because you had to. (Or, if you were a kid, to see how much you could steal.)
That’s why — though the official name was different — everyone who grew up in Westport back in the day called it Grub’s.
But there’s another side to Kenny. When he died, he left hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Westport YMCA.
The store was a fixture at the foot of Compo Hill for many years. Long before Kenny — or so the story goes — the only telephone in the area was located there. When the phone rang the owner would walk outside, and bellow the name of whoever the call was for.
Today, of course, you can call Elvira’s on your cellphone, and have your order waiting when you arrive.
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