Help save NANAS - a small & beloved restaurant
Hi, my is Jonathan. My husband George and I opened NANAS in January of this year, in Redondo Beach, CA. NANAS combines our two cultural backgrounds, Italian and Mexican, and puts them together onto one plate. To date, NANAS has a 5-star rating on Yelp, with over 80 reviews.
George and I have always connected over our love for food and hospitality. NANAS has been a celebration of this love that we share, along with the recipes and traditions passed down by both of our families. Bright, vibrant flavors are connected in harmonious ways to create unique, comforting dishes.
In January of this year, amidst the peak of the pandemic, we opened NANAS out of a commercial kitchen - operating as takeout and delivery only. As the world slowly reopened these past few months, George and myself, along with many of you, shared excitement in the idea of dining out once again. This return to normal has directly impacted many small and local, takeout and delivery concepts, including NANAS.
We are asking to raise just over $5000 to assist us in the operating expenses of our business. This will in turn, allow us to allocate our razor-thin margins towards the growth and expansion of our concept.
We long for the day that we can share give you the full NANAS experience in person - filled with warm hospitality and food made with love. We will only get there, if we through these next few months.
Thank you
www.cometonanas.com
IG: @cometonanas
Did you know how NANAS started?
On their very first date in New York City, Jonathan and George discussed their aligned interest in wanting to open a restaurant. Nearly six years later, NANAS would open in Redondo Beach, California.
In the beginning of 2020, Jonathan and George had been engaged for over one year and were deep into planning their wedding. Jonathan, an attendee of the (now) Institute of Culinary Education, had always enjoyed creating new dishes for George to try. For years they had dreamed of opening their own place, but both were caught tied in corporate jobs that paid the bills.
That was until March of 2020, when Jonathan was furloughed from his sales job due to Covid-19. Spending hours on the phone trying to be connected to anyone in the California Unemployment Department, he began shifting his attention more and more to his food blog. As his audience continued to grow, Jonathan and George shifted their time from binging television, to instead writing a business plan.
Knowing that people would be stuck at home for the foreseeable future, they were able to secure a short-term lease at a commercial kitchen where they could offer Jonathan's dishes for takeout and delivery. Given the menu and flavorful intertwine of their Mexican and Italian upbringings, it was an easy decision to call the restaurant NANAS.
NANAS would celebrate not only their families and backgrounds, but also toast to the idea of bringing different people, who share one love, together under one roof.
