Eeva, Philly’s first independent unionized restaurant, is closing

Eeva, Kensington’s bakery by day and wood-fired pizzeria by night, took to Instagram this week to announce it will close next week. Its last day of service will be Nov. 5.

“It’s been a dream and a privilege to serve this community,” the restaurant posted on Instagram Tuesday. “Thank you to our friends and customers for supporting us through these exciting, and challenging years. And to the team that made it all happen.”

The closure comes nearly 11 months to the day after eeva’s staff registered its intent to unionize and after eeva owners Greg Dunn, Mark Capriotti, and Mark Corpus voluntarily recognized the union, making eeva Philly’s first independent unionized restaurant. (Staff at ReAnimator unionized, and was voluntarily recognized, in 2022.) The union, represented by Philly’s Local 80, had been at the bargaining table as recently as September. Amid a long list of comments on the Instagram post mourning eeva’s closure, a handful allude to unresolved contract negotiations.

Co-owner Mark Capriotti said that the decision to close came after Dunn, eeva’s acclaimed chef and baker, announced his departure.

“When Greg informed us he was leaving, there was a lot of internal deliberation on whether we could continue the business without him. Ultimately, given his decision, eeva’s ownership decided to close,” Capriotti wrote in a statement shared with The Inquirer. He clarified that eeva is owned by Dunn, ReAnimator Coffee, and several investors.

In a separate statement, Dunn reflected on what the yearslong project has meant to him. Dunn came up with the concept in 2018, and the team landed on the 310 Master St. space in 2019. Eeva’s sourdough bread and naturally leavened pizza won praise nationally and locally, with Craig LaBan naming it among 2021′s best new restaurants.

”Growing eeva from an idea into a successful all-day restaurant was always my dream,” he said. “The realization of this dream was only possible because of a set of phenomenal local producers, smart collaborators, and an all-star team. None of this has been easy, but I’m proud that we achieved what we set out to do.”

Dunn doesn’t have immediate plans for the future besides spending time with friends and family. “Now is the right time for me to move on,” he said.

Both Local 80 and eeva union representatives declined to comment on the closure.

Capriotti said eeva’s employees were told Oct. 16 of the decision to close and its last day of service. ReAnimator and eeva share the first floor of the building at 310 Master St. ReAnimator has operated there since 2014. When eeva opened in October 2020, it took over operations of the cafe and added baking capacity. Once eeva closes, ReAnimator will resume operating a cafe there on Nov. 6. All eeva baristas were offered an equivalent position with ReAnimator.

On Instagram, the Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United posted that eeva workers are negotiating a severance agreement. The post urged supporters to post a suggested script along with a five-star review on eeva’s Google page. “Greg and Mark, your workers are what make Eeva and ReAnimator function!!! Give them a dignified severance and a good contract!” the script reads.

Local 80 was launched in spring 2022. It currently represents unions at Elixr, Ultimo, and ReAnimator and previously represented unions at Korshak Bagels (which closed in October) and Good Karma Cafe, where workers voted to decertify the union in September. Workers at Vibrant Coffee Roasters will vote Nov. 1 on whether to unionize.