About Us
Ethos, Principles, & Values
These are the principles and values that guide us in every aspect of our business. We live these beliefs each day, which is what sets us apart. With them, we are able to provide our employees with a work environment where love and gratitude are the stars that guide us, creating an experience unlike any other we know of, and that is our goal. After all, we are not just in the restaurant business, we are in the business of developing people. Of all the successes we've found, we are most proud of the lives that have been changed through our communities and culture.
Core Values
Our Values
Sacred Commerce
For most businesses, employees are expected to leave their baggage at home and come to work and do their jobs. Personal growth is not often an item in a company's benefit package. Sacred Commerce is our belief that a functioning business can also be a place of empowerment. It is a model that's been practiced since the first Cafe Gratitude opened its doors. Sacred Commerce is our way of business, and we've found that employees (we refer to them as our Advocates) who feel heard and appreciated are more productive. They start work feeling acknowledged and they bring that experience into their shift, pass it on to their customers, and then take it with them out into their lives. For us, love is a contagious way of being.
Our Values
Gratitude
Changing your outlook, and in turn your life begins with a focus on gratitude. Each of us has much to be grateful for, and turning our attention from what we don't have to all that we have been given is a foundation for meaningful human development. We have a saying, "Ask for what you want, and be grateful for what you get.” Gratitude is our primary product.
Our Values
Acceptance
Humans are social creatures. We all want to be part of a group that appreciates us and finds value in our presence. We all want to belong. That's the environment we provide for our Advocates as well as our customers. Acknowledgment is the currency of our community.
Our Values
Abundance
Abundance is noticing that we are provided for, now. We live in a world that believes that happiness is a result of material accomplishments, which leaves us always wanting more. Abundance is the practice of choosing to be fulfilled now, allowing us to achieve happiness no matter the circumstance.
Our Values
Fresh
Our food is not just farm-to-table; it's as-close-to-the-farm as possible, resulting in nutrient dense, satisfying meals.
Our Values
Regenerative
We strive to make our world regenerative. We do our part by sourcing our food from local farms, that are working with soil-building practices. By purchasing organic ingredients and excluding animal products and processed foods from our menu, we are doing what we can to offset the harmful effects of industrial agriculture.
Our Values
Choice
We can't fully choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them. For us, that choice is always based in love.
Our Values
Love
Love is at the center of all that we do. Our food is made with love-for our bodies and for the earth. Our business is run with love-for our Advocates, our customers, our vendors, and our community. We all want to love and be loved, and our goal is to put more love out there so that we can connect with and appreciate every person we meet.
Meet the Chef
EXECUTIVE CHEF SEIZAN DREUX ELLIS
Our commitment is that our food, service and environment awakens you into a state of gratitude. We strive to source the highest quality, nutrient dense ingredients from local farmers and the best artisan producers. We believe food is medicine. In April 2012, Dreux came to Venice, California as Executive Chef of Cafe Gratitude in Southern California bringing his health-based, flavor driven cuisine to a wider audience. He now oversees the culinary direction and development at all the restaurants in the region, including Arts District, Larchmont Village, Venice, and San Diego.