Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Trude.
Hi Sam, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I come from a consulting background in real estate, construction and hospitality, having opened and run several restaurants and cafes in both Australia and Los Angeles. I moved to LA (Venice) in 2010 and started Great White with my business partner, Sam Cooper, in 2017. We started ideating on the concept a few years prior to our opening. Both of us were curious why this cultural staple of an all-day cafe was not present in the US, particularly in California where the weather, lifestyle and landscape are so similar to that of Sydney and the coastal Australian cities. We saw a gap in the market in LA for a casual all-day concept that serves fresh produce prepared with thoughtful simplicity and delivered in an easy-going, casual, and friendly way. We opened our first restaurant in 2017 in Venice, expanded the restaurant one year into business, opened our second location in Larchmont in 2021, and we are opening our Melrose location in a few weeks’ time. We opened our small-plate, bar-focused restaurant, Gran Blanco, in 2019.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Opening restaurants come with their typical delays and struggles. The challenges around permitting and approvals have always been the biggest obstacle with our space. Expanding our Venice location into the space next door during the height of Covid was also challenging. Like the rest of the industry, we really pivoted and shifted our business. When we were allowed to re-open, we almost had this whole new concept serving dinner and drinks which we had never done before.
We’ve been impressed with Great White, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are an all-day 3-meal cafe/restaurant that serves breakfast lunch and dinner in a casual coastal Californian manner. What sets us apart is our all-day menu made from local produce and our design aesthetic with every detail being carefully curated. You can get a coffee, smoothie and breakfast burrito in the morning followed by a healthy salad or indulgent fried chicken sandwich for lunch, and then wood-fired pizza and dinner with natural wine and a cocktail at night. 8am-10pm, 7 days a week. Our influence came from Australia where both my business partner and I are from. Australia is full of amazing all-day cafes, drawing largely on its European history and heritage but executed in a casual outdoor, typically beachside setting. Our success was obvious from day one of opening often with long lines to order from our counter and a bustling vibe all day long. We are the kind of place where great coffee bleeds into lunch with a glass of wine in the afternoon and then dinner.
What are your plans for the future?
We are opening our third Great White location on Melrose in November. We have also recently signed a few other new exciting locations. There are so many great cultural influences that permeate our current menus, and I am really looking forward to exploring this even further with our new ventures.
Contact Info:
- Website: greatwhite.cafe
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatwhite/
Image Credits
Brecht Vanhoft Roly Gomez
