About Us

Our Roots 

After embarking on his personal healing journey, the late Zephrin Mongroo set out to bring an understanding of plant-based diets and holistic remedies to his community in Springfield, MA.

Established in 2015, and originally known as “Garden of Eat’n Springfield”, the Garden began providing plant-based meals to the clients of Our Journey Fitness. In partnership with the fitness center, the Garden helped many clients achieve their goals and widened their view on the importance of nutrition in relation to physical fitness.

The results with Our Journey were a testament to Zeph’s new mission. However, he set out to make a larger impact and later the Garden moved to a larger space and opened to the public. This space quickly became a hub for truly intentional living. On this journey, Zeph discovered the philosophies of the late Dr. Sebi, and the Garden adopted a 100% organic, alkaline menu. In Massachusetts, the Garden remained the only of its kind.

As Zeph and the Garden team learned about the restaurant business, services expanded to include detox programs, sea moss, other herbal supplements, nutrition classes, and more. 

In June 2022, the Garden closed the doors of its brick-and-mortar restaurant to provide various services across state lines. Today, the Garden’s work is still centered around inspiring members of the Diaspora to step away from a culture they’ve long known and into what they’ve been stripped of.

Our Owner

Damahya Mongroo’s journey with the Garden began at the age of 15 years old as she stood by while her father embarked on his community healing journey. Following her time studying at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, she returned to the Garden to take on a full-time role.  She embraced the task of becoming the face of the family-owned business. Since inheriting the business, Damahya strives to complete her and her father’s plans and bring new offerings to the Garden.