Holland's Good Earth Café will reopen in the coming weeks

HOLLAND — The Good Earth Café is nearing an opening date at its new location.

An earlier chapter of the business ended December 30, when owners Dave and Cheryl Koeman closed the business on E. Seventh Street. At the time, the future was unclear.

But a new chapter started March 1, when the shop announced it would return with new owners in a new location in The Towers on River.

It's been months of construction since, but owners Todd and Michelle Girdis are ready to announce the business will reopen in the coming weeks. A concrete date will come soon, after inspections and employee training.

The journey has gone full circle for the couple who, over the years, were regular customers at Good Earth. Last fall, Todd visited the store and saw the "for sale" sign in the window.

Already a business owner, the sign got him thinking — but the timing wasn't right.

“I walked away ... then, in December, I came back and the sign was still in the window,” he said.

According to the Koemans, there'd been interest in the business, but potential buyers were discouraged because they'd have to move locations.

“Michelle and I are strong believers in our faith and we understood that was the mission of The Good Earth,” Todd said. “We prayed about it and I felt like we were being called. I felt we had to do something, because this means so much to the people of Holland.”

The couple is transforming a brand new space in The Towers on River. It's bigger than the previous space.

“We knew we needed to stay downtown,” Todd said. “We knew it couldn’t be too far from where The Good Earth was.”

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They'll keep the menu the same, with a few subtractions, and they'll have many of the same features as the previous location. They hope to provide a similar experience, with a similar spirit.

The eatery specialized in breakfast and lunch, with a wide variety of flavored bagels, cream cheeses, breads, muffins, casseroles, sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads.

The business will be located on the second floor of the building. For continued updates, visit The Good Earth - Holland, MI on Facebook.

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.