10 LA Small Businesses To Support Right Now
Feeling heartbroken, trying to be helpful.
Hi friends,
Growing up in Portland, LA was always aspirational to me. I’d frequently visit for work or fun, harboring a not-so-secret dream of living there myself someday. It’s a city with special shops, incredible food, warm people and so, so much beauty. The horrors LA residents (both displaced and not) have to face right now are incomprehensible. It feels like the early days of COVID — precarious and terrifying. The rest of us are lucky to be witnessing it just through our phone screens, they have to muscle through in real life. I’m sure everyone has seen it circulated but in case you haven’t, the master list of GoFundMe’s for people who lost their homes is here.
This morning I saw a video from LA-based small business Good Girl Snacks when (perennial OT muse) Melanie Masarin reposted it. It was a helpful reminder about the realities small businesses and restaurants face during these disasters. They simultaneously have to process their grief AND worry about their bottom line. Which, in Good Girl’s case, means resuming normal posting schedules on social and other marketing activities. Because in this economy, eyeballs = $$. For restaurants, it’s going back to regular hours, hoping people will still dine out and also coordinating donation drives or meals for first responders.
So, in that spirit, I rounded up 10 small businesses + restaurants that I can’t wait to order from now and get back to in future. Many of which are doing amazing things for those in need, too. Seeing all the “helpers” out there, despite their own personal tragedy, really does give me hope for the future. Even if certain billionaires seem determined to do their worst simultaneously. 🙃
— Cait
1. Voodoo Vin
Voodoo Vin was the best meal Mike and I had during our LA trip last summer (as mentioned in Issue 10, of frozen-cherry-in-your-wine fame). Their chef lost the Malibu home he built with his own two hands in the fires and yet is *still* feeding displaced LA residents for free from his other restaurant. I donated to his GoFundMe here, if you’d also like to!
2. Ghiaia
We love the Baroncini family here at OT! Shopping in-person at Ghiaia last summer was like being inside someone’s intentionally decorated, vintage-inspired, chic-as-hell Italian home, with the most helpful (but not pushy) salesmen. It felt that way because they built it to feel that way, together. Pia and Davide are doing so much already for their community in Pasadena/Altadena, including a donation drive this weekend. Ghiaia is also available to shop online, if you need any excellent cashmere.
3. Queen St
The coolest seafood restaurant with an incredible wine list and the nicest staff! Everything we ate at Queen St last year was exceptional. They, too, had a donation drive before resuming normal hours this week. The shell lamp and bowl of Andes mints by the door are my favorite design touches, personally.
4. Little Fish Echo Park
A
rec that (as all her recs do) really delivered. Little Fish is sending out hundreds of meals for first responders, here is the link to donate on their Venmo. They are also offering free meals for any displaced residents — true earth angels!
5. Stir Crazy
The platonic ideal neighborhood restaurant, every dish hits just right. Stir Crazy is donating all proceeds from their merch, juice and estate wine to World Central Kitchen and the LA Preparedness Foundation for the foreseeable future. The “Crazy” hat is very compelling to me!
6. Cafe Telegramma/Etra
At Telegramma by day — incredible pancakes, great coffee and a peaceful place for breakfast/lunch. At Etra by night — perfect pasta, cozy booths and ideal mood lighting for drinks at the bar. They are also cooking free meals for displaced residents.
7. Cookbook Market
The most wholesome grocery store in Silver Lake that has local produce, fresh flowers, condiments, cheeses. Anything you could need, it’s at Cookbook Market. They are now offering “feel good” flower bouquets to LA residents to add “joy and lightness” during a dark time.
8. Found Oyster
Another seafood haven! Friendly servers, perfect sashimi, saltwater taffy with your check. Found Oyster is one of those rare examples where the hype is worth it. They resumed regular hours this week and promise to be a place for “conversation and to help in any way.”
9. MFC Studio
Across the street from Found Oyster, this small, woman-owned business sells beautiful ceramics, cool vintage and other keepsakes. They are donating 30% of all sales in January to fire relief funds. Owner Maya takes custom orders and ships, too!
10. Canyon Coffee
Canyon, aside from being a stunning place to drink an orange espresso tonic, is doing a donation match for California Wildfire Relief. So far, they’ve raised 20k!
This is, of course, is by no means an exhaustive list. There are so many places in need, so many organizations already helping and countless other ways to practically aid those affected. For ex., both Rach and I were so sad to see Molly Baz’s post yesterday about losing her dreamy Altadena home and thought her ask for folks to join or gift her recipe club was a great idea. We also signed up for Seconds Market’s matching program that pairs people willing to donate their Poshmark/Depop piles (everyone has ‘em!) with someone of a similar age and size.
Keep looking for the helpers and doing what you can, I know we both will. 💙
