Lemon Poppy Kitchen is the culinary love child of Katie Kildow, Anca Caliman, and Jack Wilson. Based in the NELA neighborhood in Los Angeles, Lemon Poppy Kitchen introduced the area to plachinta (stuffed Romanian flatbread) using organic jams prepared and served in a converted Mexican bakeshop. With help from family and friends — and lots of elbow grease — the trio transformed their idea into a cute and cozy neighborhood cafe.
They run a bakery, and offer a small but innovative menu featuring breakfast and lunch. Everything is made in house daily from scratch, including all the condiments and spreads. Yep! Even the mayo, ketchup, and mustard) are handmade. And of course their jams and plachinta. The bread, tea, and coffee are all locally sourced from equally passionate artisans. Lemon Poppy Kitchen is a place where neighbors meet each other, pick up their daily coffee, and brunch with their families on weekends.
Lemon Poppy Kitchen has built a dedicated following, but they needed capital in order to expand and remodel an adjacent space. They came to PCV for support, and we provided their small business with a $100,000 loan. The expansion is expected to create new jobs and increase profitability with an updated menu including espresso and related beverages, prepackaged cold case sandwiches and salads.
The staff at Lemon Poppy Kitchen has grown to eleven employees (with all three owners still very hands-on in the day-to-day operations) and they’re hoping to add more in the coming year. The team is hardworking, lives in the neighborhood, and is committed to creating a community establishment where they know their customer’s names and orders before they walk in the door.
If you’re in LA, check out Lemon Poppy Kitchen: http://lemonpoppykitchen.net/
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