Today we’d like to introduce you to Salima Saunders.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Salima. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My passion for food began when I was a child in my toy kitchen. I would cook elaborate meals for my family and serve each dish with care. Both my grandmothers were incredible cooks who engaged us as kids in the kitchen, from rolling rotlis on the floor to lifting us up to taste what was bubbling away on the stovetop. For me, food really was a way of showing my love. I moved out to LA a few years ago to go to USC for business school and worked in hospitality, where my love for service and food only deepened. While I was working, I started a vegetarian catering service and loved creating healthier takes on my favorite dishes. I was so excited to work with the produce at local farmer’s markets and see how I could support and nourish my clients. I worked briefly as a baker/prep cook at Amara Kitchen and then took on a role at Bar Nine in operations before getting the opportunity to open my own cafe, Uplifters Kitchen, last month in the midst of the pandemic, an opportunity I didn’t think would be possible for many years!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been challenging to open a cafe in these uncertain times, but the community has been incredibly supportive of us as we gain our footing. I’m grateful to them for their continued support and encouragement. I have really been focused on trying to establish my values, and each day, I think I get stronger and more confident about who we are and what we stand for at Uplifters Kitchen. We have a marketplace where we feature products from local female creators and makers, and we strive to incorporate seasonal produce and ingredients from the Santa Monica and Mar Vista Farmer’s Markets. The easy road is not always the best thing for us or our planet, and I’m trying to figure out how best to fit in!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Uplifters Kitchen – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Uplifters Kitchen is a cafe in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park neighborhood, where we aim to be a place for people to unwind, connect to each other, and feel at home. Our menu is globally inspired but locally sourced with house-baked pastries such as scones, vegan, gf donuts, and samosas. Our menu includes dishes like Daal and coconut rice, a burrata and kale salad, and an excellent biscuit breakfast sandwich! We have partnered with Shreebs for our coffee and Friends and Family Bakery for our sourdough bread. We make everything in house, which I am so excited about, and we’re introducing the Santa Monica community to new foods and ways of eating. I am passionate about healthy baking, and I’ve snuck items like my favorite baked apple oatmeal on the menu. It’s so special and gratifying to see people enjoy the food that my team and I cook everyday.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2819 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405
- Website: https://www.uplifterskitchen.com/
- Phone: (424) 268-4904
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uplifterskitchen/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/uplifters-kitchen-santa-monica
Image Credit:
@fernweh.land
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