Mary Claire Britton of Greenhouse, the salad-forward feel-good eatery in Homewood, AL, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Mary Claire tells us how she and her husband Bray got started in the restaurant industry, and how their dream of eventually opening their own restaurant has always been part of their relationship. Mary Claire describes how the evolution of their personal eating habits inspired the concept behind Greenhouse: bright, colorful, from-scratch meals made with organic and locally sourced ingredients, balanced with ridiculously good cookies. Fortunately, to-go orders have always been a big part of their business, but Mary Claire describes other ways they have been impacted by the pandemic including sourcing ingredients, partnering with meal delivery apps, and having to downsize staff. Mary Claire and Carrie talk about handling difficult customers and their “constructive criticism.” They wrap up the conversation with how Mary Claire balances parenting three children with a chaotic schedule, and what we can do to support Greenhouse. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Greenhouse

Greenhouse on Instagram

Bottega 

Highlands Bar and Grill

Dyron’s Low Country

Union Square Cafe

Bacchanalia 

Abattoir

Uber Eats 

Church Street Coffee and Books

Paramount  

Susan Rollwagen’s recent episode on The Localist