Grins Vegetarian Cafe announced that it would be permanently closing. The cafe, located in the Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life, made the announcement in a now-deleted Instagram post, thanking the community for its support. The cafe’s last day of official operations was April 17.
Grins, an affiliate of Bongo Roasting Co. and part of Campus Dining’s on-campus meal plans, was self-proclaimed to be Nashville’s oldest and first certified kosher vegetarian cafe.
In a statement to The Hustler, a Campus Dining representative attributed the decision to unexpected staffing issues. Campus Dining clarified that the decision to close Grins was made before these difficulties arose, but the timing of the closure was unforeseen.
“Grins closed unexpectedly due to unforeseen staffing challenges. Prior to this, Bongo Java decided Grins would not continue operations on campus next year. While the timing of the closure was not anticipated, we understand that operational challenges arise. We greatly appreciate the Grins/Bongo Java team for their partnership and service to our community,” the representative said.
Sophomore Anne Wang said Grins was her staple dining location for lunch. She expressed her initial sadness when she found out about the closure.
“I was so upset because that’s usually the first place that I think of whenever my friend asks to go to lunch or whenever I don’t know what to do for lunch,” Wang said. “It’s always a go-to place, and I don’t know where else I’d go.”
Wang also mentioned the community and friends she met from dining at Grins.
“I feel like a lot of friendships have been formed in Grins. I feel like I’ve met so many people in line, and they’re just all so friendly,” Wang said. “Especially the way the tables are placed inside, sometimes you’re kind of just forced to sit at the same table as a bunch of people, and you make friends with them too. I feel like people are really going to miss the community that comes from going to Grins and enjoying their food.”
Sophomore Hailey Rockoff also said she was sad to hear about the closure, highlighting the quality of its food and service. She emphasized the importance of the cafe for many of her friends who keep kosher.
“There are not really many [kosher and vegetarian dining options] on campus. It was a good option for people with dietary restrictions,” Rockoff said. “I don’t keep kosher, but a lot of my friends do, and so that was a good option for them.”
Rockoff also emphasized the impact Grins had in bringing non-Jewish students to the Center for Jewish Life. She said she appreciated the opportunity to share her space with the broader Vanderbilt community from the traffic that the cafe brought.
Rockoff informed The Hustler of a contractual agreement requiring any dining option in the Center for Jewish Life to be both vegetarian and kosher. This was later confirmed in Campus Dining’s statement.
“Campus Dining and Schulman Center leadership are working together to determine the best path forward,” the statement reads. “No final decisions have been made regarding a long-term replacement. We will share updates with the community when plans are confirmed. However, it can be noted that any future concept in the location will continue to support kosher dining on campus.”
