Jeff's Salad reopens with new name, menu

After closing for nearly two years, Jeff’s Neighborhood Salad Co. on Tamiami Trail reopened Saturday under a new name and new management.

Now called Jeff’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar, the restaurant still offers the salads it did before closing in spring 2012, but has expanded its menu to include soups, sandwiches and hot dogs. The new broader approach — and the reopening, itself — is thanks in part to Marcin and Eve Gryzenia, who are now helping manage the restaurant.

The couple moved from Poland to Sarasota about two years ago. Shortly after that, the owner of Jeff’s Salad, Artur Jarczynski, closed the business to focus on running restaurants in Poland. The Gryzenias did not know Jarczynski, but set out to contact him and persuade him to let them run the restaurant in his stead. Armed only with information they found on Google, they were able to eventually find him.

“We knew this place, and we knew the owner is Polish,” Eve Gryzenia said. “It’s not so hard to get in touch with someone via word of mouth.”

The Gryzenias had more than just a shared heritage to offer Jarczynski; they also had experience running a restaurant in Poland. Jarczynski was reluctant at first, but four months ago, agreed to reopen the restaurant, located at 1414 S. Tamiami Trail.

“We were pushing him,” Marcin Gryzenia said. “We’ve been waiting here for two years. We convinced him he had to reopen.”

The Gryzenias said the additional food options were just the beginning of a more flexible approach at a lunch spot that once offered just salads and wraps. Currently, they employ just one cook, but they said as they receive more feedback, they are willing to make changes to the menu.

“We could do dinner, breakfast — we’ll see what people want,” Eve Gryzenia said. “We are here for the people.”

They also said that Jarczynski views the Sarasota restaurant as a trial run for potential expansion into Bradenton or Venice.

The restaurant reopened Saturday, and the Gryzenias were happy with the turnout, considering they did not advertise. That was a conscious decision — they are focused on slow but steady growth to ensure they do not lose the opportunity they worked for 20 months to get.

“We put our hearts into this place,” Eve Gryzenia said. “We’re taking it step by step.”

Contact David Conway at [email protected]