Meet Yoni Rappaport and Kfir Kamelgard of Osher Bar and Grill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yoni Rappaport and Kfir Kamelgard.

Yoni and Kfir, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Kfir and I were college roommates at Rutgers University (NJ). We always wanted to open up a bar/restaurant. After college, I went into the industry and Kfir went into finance. He moved out to Los Angeles, and five years later, when the timing was right, I followed, and we started laying track for Osher.

Osher is a Hebrew homophone for “Happiness” and “Success.” That is to us the nucleus of the industry and of what we aim to do – provide happiness in exchange for success. Neither Kfir or I am practicing Jews, but we like maintaining our connection to the broader Jewish community and bringing peoples together from all backgrounds.

Has it been a smooth road?
Opening a restaurant is never smooth. The best description I’ve heard as a restaurateur is that “you’re always trying to re-invent calm out of chaos.” To be honest though, pre-open I kept waiting for something to sneak up and punch me in the face, but it never came. Post-open is another story. Osher is an upscale sports bar and grill.

We are virtually unheard of in the Kosher world and a first for LA. We’ve had to do a lot of customer education as it relates to our beverage program and New-American style of cuisine. We also made some imprudent operating decisions when we opened, and have recently pivoted back to keeping true to our concept.

We made a change in Executive Chef and style of service in order to provide a better value and increase the spending power of our customers. We want to be there day in day out for our guests, and be more akin to the places I frequented in NYC – essentially an extension of your living room.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Osher is unique in a few ways. Adhering to Kosher dietary restrictions is a blessing in disguise. In regular restaurants, Chefs rely on a go-to set of flavor enhancers (i.e., butter, bacon). Kosher sets a strict parameter (no pork and shellfish, can’t mix dairy and meat), which conversely allows one to get creative and think outside the box.

Kosher also forces us to ensure a higher quality of proteins, vigorously wash and clean all produce, and work with more base raw ingredients. This also translates to the beverage program. Most liqueurs are not kosher so out cocktails have more of kitchen forward fresh approach; a Moscow Mule with beet juice and homemade ginger beer, a play on a Paloma with Mezcal, Sage, and fresh squeezed grapefruit.

Adhering to Kosher also means we’re great with other allergy and dietary restrictions. We offer lactose-free pizzas and plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. We’ve found a lot of customers coming back with the comfort of ordering items without concern of lactose, shellfish, peanuts/trea-nuts, etc.. Which leads us to our point of pride… bringing people together from all backgrounds and communities.

Food, drink, friends, and sports are all universal. Having a venue where everyone feels welcomed has led to a great exchange of culture and ideas. We’ve had office holiday parties where the Jews in the office also get to eat. We’ve had non-religious Jews come for the community. We’ve had lots of locals come in and learn that they and their Jewish neighbors equally enjoy a great burger, cold beer, and the Lakers back in the playoffs!

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
LA is a mixed bag, especially for the restaurant industry. I think the urban sprawl, strip malls, and street food make it tough on traditional restaurants. Labor laws and zoning/building codes are strict and extensive. And frankly, people don’t drink as much in warm weather cities.

The positives are huge though! People are open-minded and receptive to new experiences. LA provides a lot of creative inspiration. My favorite part of having the restaurant out in LA, opposed to NYC, is the incredible produce!

The farmers out here are super passionate and put out some of the best produce in the world. Nothing better than roaming the Santa Monica farmer’s market and letting the growers choose your next appetizer or dessert for you.

Pricing:

• Apps run $8 – $12
• Entrees run $14 – $36
• Craft Beers are all under $10, and Signature Cocktails are a steal at $12-$14

Contact Info:

• Address: 8657 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035
• Website: OsherLA.com
• Phone: 424-302-0050
• Email: info@OsherLA.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osherbarandgrill/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OsherBarandGrill/

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