The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce will help Grandma's Kitchen will officially open its doors on October 5, 2021, at 4:30 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting at 123 South Catherine Street, Montour Falls, NY 14865. Grandma’s Kitchen will offer vegan-only fare. Executive Director Michael Hardy will emcee the ribbon-cutting. Montour Falls Village Mayor Jim Ryan will speak as will the Easterlings and invited guest, Gene Baur, co-founder of the Farm Sanctuary.

 

New owners and partners, Casey and Mike Easterling, have long wanted to own and operate a restaurant or cafe together. Mike has years of experience managing cafes and bars in New York City and Central Park. Casey, a former literacy and ESL teacher, is looking forward to learning the ropes and opening Grandma's Kitchen as a team.

 

"We've been visiting Farm Sanctuary for years, and we always visited all of the local restaurants that offer vegan options, but we also always wished for a completely vegan place to eat nearby," Casey said. "Imagine all the goodies your grandmother used to make. We will offer that kind of food, the kind of food that will bring back great memories of times with your grandmother, but it will be vegan! Healthier for you and the environment!”

 

Gene Baur is president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, America’s first farm animal sanctuary and advocacy organization. On January 1, 1990, he established the country’s first permanent farm animal sanctuary on 175 acres in Watkins Glen, NY. The New York Sanctuary would

become home to thousands of survivors of animal agriculture, bringing a new perspective to an area steeped in dairy-farming. While living in Watkins Glen, Baur was hailed as “the conscience of the food movement” by TIME magazine and his groundbreaking work was covered by major media groups, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, “Good Morning America,” ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He is a popular speaker at the nation’s top colleges, universities, and industry conferences, and is internationally recognized for inspiring a new awareness and understanding of the sentience of farm animals and the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.