Thursday, September 16, 2021

Green Garden Buffet closes on 9th Street

Green Garden Buffet has closed here at 332 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue (thanks to Steven for the photos) ... 
A note on the door from owner Tamika Gabaroum cites a "decrease in business" for the closure... 
Gabaroum opened the buffet-style spot in July 2020... serving what she billed as healthy French food. (An EVG reader described it as Chadian, as Gabaroum is originally from Chad.)

Gabaroum is a former public health advocate with the Peace Corps who served in UN Peacekeeping Missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was an early recipient of a loan in the summer of 2019 as part of the East Village Revitalization Loan Fund for small business owners. (You can read more about the partnership with City Councilmember Carlina Rivera and community advocates here and here.)

Unfortunately, opening a buffet-style restaurant without seating during a pandemic proved to be too much.

Gabaroum had said opening a restaurant in NYC was a dream of hers. She will continue with catering work. 
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6 comments:

  1. DrGeckoSeptember 16, 2021 at 7:54 AM

    This is awful. One of my favorite restaurants. We were lucky that the only east African restaurant in the neighborhood was so very good, but the virus has claimed many victims. I wish Ms Gabaroum good luck in her future endeavors and hope for a return some day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2021 at 4:37 PM

    cuisine was delicious... a loss for sure.

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  3. bayouSeptember 17, 2021 at 8:23 AM

    The food was good and they were so hospitable. I was rooting for them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DrGeckoSeptember 17, 2021 at 8:37 AM

    *west African.

    Everything's topsy-turvy these days.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2021 at 1:11 PM

    Best of luck in all you do in the future ladies, your Scotch Egg was divine, it will be sorely missed!!

    What a real shame. They never had a chance with everything NY threw in their way. Our Governor stood on his pedestal to great accolades as he condemned businesses like this to oblivion. I'm sure some million dollar restaurant group, flush with their totally deserved PPP loan money, will snatch the spot right up.

    Time goes on, things change, getting old and watching the world evolve is just part of it. I've been through more cycles of gentrification than I will publicly admit, but somehow this 'new-normal' seems different. Its less like gentrification and more like a total consolidation of assets for the ones lucky enough to have them.

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  6. Lola SáenzSeptember 19, 2021 at 11:03 AM

    Tamika Gabaroum texted me on Friday,she was on her way to DC to do a catering job. And told me she's going to focus on catering for now. So if anyone needs a food event in the future be free to get in touch and many Thanks.
    I wish her the Best!

    ReplyDelete

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