Meet Mark & Sher Kopman of All Vegan Organic (AVO Café) in Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark & Sher Kopman.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Our story began in 2013 when we brought our Canadian raw, vegan, organic salad dressings and dips to south pacific. The products were distributed to a variety of healthy grocery stores in the region. Although the products were a good fit for Southern California, it proved difficult to manufacture in Canada and distribute 3000 miles away. We decided to consider a change in direction and transitioned into the café business where we could offer the community local, whole food dishes with all of our sauces, dressings and dips to take the taste experience to the next level. AVO Café is now in its 8th month in Santa Monica and business has expanded to corporate catering & private events on our back patios.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
New businesses are always challenging. The current month has been particularly difficult as there is considerable construction outside our door which doesn’t lend well to tourist traffic. However, we’ve been very lucky with a location close to the beach and many hotels, companies and schools close by. Further, we’ve hired some amazing staff that are very personable with our patrons and also feel like family to us!

All Vegan Organic (AVO Café) – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are an all-vegan organic café. For us, ALL produce, grains, oils & spices must be organic, plant-based & unrefined. We make all our sauces in house and never use ingredients with additives, thickeners or preservatives. Only foods that are highly digestible, very clean and assimilate in the body as whole, functional food. We are very proud of our standards and will never compromise on a single ingredient. I think this sets us apart from a lot of competition that sells a concept of vegan organic but uses commercial products (such as processed vegan cheese/dips etc.) that are simply not real food. Vegan does not mean healthy and we strive to serve foods that help keep the body vital, strong and well-nourished!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I would say our first five star rating on Yelp! Fortunately, this has continued on with dozens of 5-star ratings on google, yelp, happy cow and many other platforms. We’re very proud of our reviews and strive for the utmost in customer satisfaction!

Pricing:

• $5-$20

Contact Info:

• Address: 306 Pico Blvd
  Santa Monica, CA 90405
• Website: www.allveganorganic.com
• Phone: 424-387-8211
• Email: allveganorganic@gmail.com
• Instagram: avocafe_santamonica
• Facebook: facebook.com/allveganorganic
• Twitter: https://www.happycow.net/reviews/avo-cafe-santa-monica-143670
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/avo-café-santa-monica-santa-monica
• Other: https://business.google.com/dashboard/l/11816685811771050144?hl=en

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.