Restaurant, Market & Farm Under 1 Roof Calls Englewood Home

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - It's as fresh as it gets. A new business in Englewood is serving up meals made mostly with ingredients that were never packaged or put on a truck. It's called Grow + Gather.

"I think what makes us a little bit different is how we packaged this all together," explained George Gastis, Owner and Founder of Grow + Gather.

Grow + Gather is located off E. Hampden Ave and S. Emerson St. near Craig Hospital, in a remodeled car garage shop. Set on a small plot of land about the size of two houses, it boasts a restaurant, market and a farm, all under one roof.

Gastis previously owned his own tech company. A few years ago he decided to change his career path and instead chase a passion of his, food and gardening. He originally wanted to grow commercial food for chefs, but that quickly turned into a more community-centric idea.

"Which was using food as a way to bring people together and connect the various neighborhoods," he told CBS4.

Grow + Gather has an indoor hydroponics farm which customers can see through windows while they eat. Business partner Jeff Johnston designed the system to grow herbs and leafy green in the small space.

"Their roots are meant to go find stability. They find nutrients and all that," Johnston explained. "They don't have to do any of that. I bring it right to them. They don't even have to get off the couch."

Johnston said they recycle water and use LED lights to make the system sustainable.

On the roof of the building is a greenhouse, which will be used to grow food year round for the market and restaurant below.

"There will be tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, root vegetables," Gastis said. "There are times where you could eat a salad at lunch time that was harvested earlier in the other room, 30 feet away, that morning."

Grow + Gather will open for business on Thursday. The "Feedery Neighborhood Kitchen" restaurant will serve breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily. The marketplace will be open with coffee, produce, small grab and go items, and local products from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily.