Local Spotlight: Mike Geller of Mike's Organic in Stamford

Hello, CTbites readers! 

Most of the time we bring you pieces on chefs, but we’re trying something new that puts the focus on interesting food and beverage industry folks that ARE NOT chefs but have a tale to tell; think bartenders, independent bakers, farmers, maybe some brewers, or even that waiter everyone seems to know. 

It’s only fitting to kick it off with Mike Geller, the owner of Mike’s Organic in Stamford. He’s not a chef, he has a story, and he’s really easy to have a conversation with. He’s one of the reasons why I thought of this series in the first place, so making him number one was a no-brainer. 

If you’re unfamiliar with Mike’s Organic, it opened in 2009, strictly as a grocery delivery service. Now, celebrating its decade-old birthday, Geller expanded his business and opened his doors to the public with a mini market filled with carefully selected organic goods, fresh produce, and lots of local products. To boot, they host lots of special events and cooking classes with the likes of Geoff Lazlo, Ross Bread, and Nit Noi Provisions. 

How it all started is quite something. Cue the Q&A! 

What did you do before you opened this place? 

I grew up in Greenwich, went to school here, and after college I moved to Atlanta because my brother was a hip-hop producer and he met a guy and said, “Usher’s in his phone.” After I graduated college—I was a theater major—my brother said, “We’re moving to Atlanta.” Six months later, I’m in Atlanta where I ran a hip-hop studio and independent record label with an off-the-record big name producer. 

We started hosting big events down there around 2003 when the NBA All-Star Game was in Atlanta. We rented out a club called the Riviera Club and ended up running it four nights per week. Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson hosted events at the club around that time. 

In a year-and-a-half down there, I even ended up recording Snoop Dogg. The record label partnership didn’t work out, so we went our separate ways, and I started an event business. The first big event I did was host an NBA All-Star Game after party with Shaq at the Playboy Mansion in 2004. I did a lot of celebrity events like Terrell Owens’ 30th birthday and private events for De Beers, Ferrari.

When I was 28, I got into copyrighting, media buying, advertising, then I quit and spent three months living in the Kalahari Dessert in Botswana. 

Mike’s Organic hosts a variety of events like cooking classes, pig roasts, private functions, occasional live music, Greenwich Wine + Food Festival’s pre party and more!

Wait, wait, wait. Really? Continue…

When I was in Africa, I’m this lifelong bow hunter, fisherman, gardener, cook. I’ve always been tied to nature in some way. My family has land in Africa, and I was there helping build the property. It’s me and three Zimbabwean guys living in the bush and I had to hunt for food. When I was there, I got charged by a leopard, almost bitten by a cobra, and was in a plane that lost its engine. 

This sounds like an Indiana Jones movie. But how did you figure out that you wanted to get into the local organic grocery business? 

One day in Africa, I went to a supermarket and all the food looked better than back home and I couldn’t understand why. 

The whole experience changed my life. I knew I wanted to do something that involved food, like work on a farm. I came back and ended up volunteering at Stone Barns for Jack Algiere. Anything they asked me to do, I did it. “Climb the apple tree?” Sure, I just got back from Africa. No problem. I’d show up in the pouring rain and they’d be like, “Why are you here? You’re a volunteer!”

At Stone Barns I sat on a bench outside the courtyard garden and had the idea that I wanted to create a business that directly connected small local farmers and consumers. I started the business out of my parents' house and my Nissan Pathfinder and used my mom’s office as a packing room and the walking cooler was at the end our lawn. After three years doing this alone, I hired Chris. We did this from 3:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day. 

Where did you get all your products from back then? 

I’d call farms using connections I made while at Stone Barns. At first some farms didn’t want to sell because they’re stuff was already spoken for. Then it was “Who are you? Why should we sell to you?” There were like 10 people trying to do this back then and you could barely get organic produce at Stop & Shop. There wasn’t a model for it. But I was able to establish good relationships and we still work with some of the farmers to this day. 

In 2009-2010, I took all the orders, drove to the farms, did the pickups and the deliveries all in my SUV that was filled to the brim. 

How did Mike’s Organic get to where it is now? 

I started doing a lot more deliveries, hired another employee, Mackenzie, who was my classmate at Brunswick School, then we opened where we are now as a food hub for deliveries. No one shopped here. The market came about when a customer of eight years texted me and she's like, “I need the pasta you carry.” She came in, dub through the boxes, and said, “Surely you’re going to charge me for these.” That’s how it began.

Say I have a product or something, how do I get you to carry it? 

Chris does a lot of the product sourcing but there is a criteria. People reach out and ask us to carry their stuff and we ask that they bring it by to let us try it. Everything has to be awesome, we have to get it at a reasonable price and offer it to customers reasonably, is it ethical (no GMOs, chemical free, nothing artificial), and the story behind the product, like is it unique or compelling.  

When anyone walks into the event/demo space, they’re immediately struck by these taxidermy, prehistoric-looking animals. What are they and what’s the story with ‘em? 

There are people that don’t like hunting and I respect that, but so far there hasn’t been any negative feedback, even after we hosted a vegan cooking class here. They didn’t run out screaming! 

I grew up hunting and it’s not about killing, I don’t love killing, I say a prayer for every animal. I only shoot mature deer to manage the population. I do it because I like being a part of nature, I like being out there. I’m part of a group that donates the meat to the Lower Fairfield Food Bank. We fed around 8,000 people last year. 

The ones on the wall that aren’t deer are an Eland, the largest antelope in the world, and the others are impalas. We actually fed 250 people in Botswana with the eland. 

What are you up to when you’re not at Mike’s Organic? 

When I’m not hunting, I’m with my wife and kids, both boys, a three-year-old and a two-year-old. I love music, I love movies. I used to go out a lot! The business is like a child of its own. We try to do a lot of charity stuff; we try to do a lot in the community. And I cook a lot. 

Where are you eating and what are you drinking? 

I love Kawa Ni. And Boxcar Cantina. I love, love, beer but don’t drink it as much as I used to. Bourbon, Woodford Reserve, Bulleit, Makers Mark. But if it’s beer it’s Maine Brewing Company, Two Roads, Kent Falls.