Ribbon Cutting: Green Zone Celebrates Official Grand Opening

in the Village celebrated its official grand opening early Friday kicking off the day with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The owner is also offering a 25 percent discount all day and live acoustic music from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight. 

Owner Markus Wiederkehr along with his wife Natalie and daughters Rachel, 12, and Jennifer, 3, gathered in front of this restaurant on Notre Dame Street along with city officials, council, his builder, a wine supplier, the and the Grosse Pointe Village Association Friday.

Wiederkehr had a soft opening in early December with the goal of working out any glitches or unexpected issues before announcing the grand opening.

Business, he said, has been good. Earlier this week he applied a decal to the outside of his front window advertising the wine bar, which he said has spurred some visits.

Green Zone is a traditional Italian pizzeria with organic and gluten free options. In addition to pizzas, the restaurant offers salads, sandwiches, appetizers, beer and wine as well as non-alcoholic beverages.

Since opening in December, Wiederkehr has adjusted his hours slightly by closing an hour earlier most nights and he has added to the menu. The additions included a honey smoked salmon dip appetizer, a ham and cheese sandwich and a cobb salad.

Executive Director of the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce Jennifer Boettcher said Green Zone is a nice addition to the Village, which is a small downtown shopping/business district in the City of Grosse Pointe.

"I think it adds diversity to the Village," Boettcher said after the ribbon-cutting. "I think diversity brings more people to the Village."

Green Zone opened in a year in which . Among other positive changes to the Village are the and the . Kroger closed during its remodel, which took roughly a year, and Treasure Trove took over the .

. They intend to review current zoning rules and will consider possibly changing them to allow additional kinds of development. Councilman Chris Walsh also wants to receive input from the main players: business owners, building owners, investors and others as part of the focus.

Wiederkehr began his venture nearly a year ago on Green Zone. In addition to having a focus on organic food, he has a heavy focus on being environmentally responsible. Inside the restaurant features each a trash, a compost and a recycling recepticle. He also outfitted the restaurant with environmentally friendly flooring, chemical-free paint and more.

His builder, Ron Latiff from MHP Construction, said Friday that the paperwork for  LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification will be completed by the end of the month. The governmental organization then has six months to grant the certification, Latiff said.

Wiederkehr said he believes the restaurant will easily receive the certification.

The hours for Green Zone are now:

• Sundays: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Mondays through Thursdays: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Fridays and Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

To contact Green Zone for delivery, carry-out or other inquiries, call 313-332-0559. Green Zone also has a Facebook page and can be followed on Twitter @GreenZonePizza.