When talking about the granola at Whole Foods Market, it's hard to tell whether you're referring to a product or the people shopping at this organic-friendly, yuppie enclave. So it should surprise no one that Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in opposition to the president's health care reform proposal ruffled a few feathers. But the outcry seems to have caught the company off-guard: the Boycott Whole Foods group on Facebook has swelled to almost 30,000 members, and outraged customers have picketed outside the flagship store in Austin. It's being referred to as one of the biggest PR blunders in recent history, but no one can claim Mackey is a total fool: he sold 50,000 shares of Whole Foods stock, worth $1.36 million, the day before his editorial was posted.
Farewell, ElRo
Creative Montrose pizzeria will shutter after only a year-and-a-half
An acclaimed Houston pizzeria will soon serve its final pies. ElRo Pizza & Crudo will close after service on December 31.
In a post on Instagram, chef-owner Terrence Gallivan thanks his staff for their dedication and his customers for their support. “We hope to see you all over the next couple weeks. Come celebrate with us,” he writes.
Open since June 2023, ElRo intrigued diners who enjoyed Gallivan’s work at pioneering Houston restaurant The Pass & Provisions. At ElRo, the chef served a modified version of the Provisions pizza recipe alongside crudos and shareable small plates such as arancini and housemade sausage. It earned four nominations in this year’s CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, including Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year.
Sadly, Gallivan tells CultureMap that business has seen “a steady decline in business for many months.” Recently, the restaurant had tried a number of initiatives to draw in diners, such as steak night on Tuesday and fried chicken on Saturday.
The early announcement gives diners two weeks to make one more visit (or two) to the restaurant before it closes. Customers may want to time their visit for happy hour, which takes places from 3-6 pm Tuesday-Friday. It includes half-off glasses of wine, $4 draft beers, $9 select cocktails, and food specials.
Gallivan adds that he doesn’t know yet what his next move will be. Hopefully, he’s got one more comeback in him. Houston is a more fun town to dine in when Gallivan is cooking in it.