Our Story

Preserving History. Serving Good.

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In late 2021, three longtime Compo Beach neighbors, Jim Hood, Ian Warburg, and Chris Tait, found themselves standing at a crossroads familiar to many Westport residents.

 

Elvira’s Market, the beloved neighborhood gathering spot at Old Mill Beach, had a “for sale” sign out front, its doors closed for the season, and its future uncertain. With it hung the possibility of losing another landmark that had defined the spirit of the shoreline community for over a century.

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They remembered what it felt like to lose places like Alan’s Clam House and Positano’s, those neighborhood havens that fed both body and soul. They couldn’t let that happen again. What started as a conversation among friends quickly became a commitment to action, to preserve the Old Mill Market and the legacy of connection it represented.

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Reaching out to Hal and Betsy Kravitz, the much-loved owners who had revived the market in 2019, the trio learned that the couple’s time in Westport was coming to an end. After months on the market and dozens of showings, no buyer had stepped forward to continue the tradition. The Kravitzes, out of options, faced the painful choice of selling to a developer.

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Jim, Ian, and Chris saw another path, one that would honor Hal and Betsy’s legacy and protect the history of the Old Mill for generations to come. They asked for time to rally the community and make preservation possible.

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Soon after, the group grew. Lifelong Westporter and restaurateur Tommy Febbraio joined in, followed by Emily Ashken Zobl and her husband, Tim, locals who, like so many others, felt deeply connected to the stories, the shoreline, and the sense of belonging that Elvira’s represented. Together they began reaching out to neighbors and friends, sharing their vision to save the historic market and transform it into something that would serve good for all.

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The response was immediate and heartfelt. In just a few months, more than 500 community members contributed nearly $1.3 million to the effort, along with support from Fairfield County Bank. With those gifts and an extraordinary sense of shared purpose, Soundview Empowerment Alliance (SEA) was born.

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In May 2022, SEA purchased the property to preserve it in perpetuity. A few months later, they partnered with The Granola Bar Hospitality Group to reopen the Old Mill Grocery & Deli, affectionately known as OMG&D. The market once again filled with the smell of coffee, the sound of laughter, and the easy rhythm of neighbors meeting by the water.

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But SEA’s mission extends beyond preservation. It is about people. OMG&D now serves as a community gathering place and a site for inclusive job training, creating meaningful opportunities for individuals with disabilities to gain real-world experience, build confidence, and connect with their community.

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This is what “Preserving History, Serving Good” looks like in action. It is about keeping a historic landmark alive not as a monument to the past, but as a living, breathing part of Westport’s future, a “third place” where everyone feels they belong.

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At the Old Mill Grocery & Deli, locals, workers, and visitors come together for good food, good company, and a shared belief in doing good. That is the legacy we are protecting, and the community we are building together.