The Alfalfa story, as told directly from its founders
At Alfalfa, we believe that joy is found in the pursuit of balance. We aim to inspire healthier communities through real food and joyful experiences. That is at the heart of who we are, what we do, and what we aspire to build. This is our story.
We all grew up together in Hoboken, NJ and after graduating from high school nearby at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, we went our separate ways to pursue different corporate careers. But, in the end, our desire to make a tangible difference in the world brought us back together in Hoboken to formulate what would later become Alfalfa.
Although not traditionally the healthiest guys in the world, in the very beginning, as we brainstormed business ideas, we’d deliberate (for far too long) where to eat in the area. All we needed was a place that had convenient, high quality salads in a welcoming environment. Yet, our search almost always came up short. We wondered, ‘How could Hoboken, a highly residential area only a stone’s throw away from Manhattan and other culinary hot spots, lack healthy food options?’ This was the “aha” moment, and we set out to solve a problem we ourselves faced: offer the community real food that’s high quality, healthy and accessible.
Our first location
To mitigate the risk of opening a restaurant straight away, we began to make salads out of a 10’ x 10’ tent at a weekly farmers’ market in Hoboken in 2018. As the weeks rolled on, our following grew and we sold more salads than we ever thought possible. At the end of the season, two fellow local restaurateurs offered us a pop-up opportunity in their beloved community 30s-era diner called Schnackenberg’s. It was located right on Washington Street. The community embraced the Alfalfa pop-up concept and, as a result of our organic growth, eventually those restaurateurs asked us to take over the space entirely. This became our first brick and mortar location in 2019. It’s where we still stand today.
The Alfalfa menu features salads at its core, but also includes a beautiful assortment of wraps, homemade doughnuts, and breakfast burritos, along with an array of coffee drinks & beverages
What started as just a salad concept evolved to better fit our vision and taste. The menu expanded to include homemade doughnuts, breakfast burritos, and premium coffee while the physical space brought to life the feeling of joy and comfort core to Alfalfa. What we were truly after was happiness and mental health. So, we set out to connect our menu and customer experience in a way that inspires joy.
Alfalfa ribbon cutting ceremony April 2019 in Hoboken NJ with Mayor Ravi Bhalla (left to right: Alfalfa co-founders Ben Sobsey, Dan Londono, Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Alfalfa co-founders Andrew Arrospide, Dan Sobsey)
Bicoastal expansion
Although COVID presented our industry with challenges, perseverance led to an opportunity on the West Coast in 2021. Given our multiple ties to Southern California, a second location in Santa Monica was, in many ways, a dream come true. We’re proud, and honored, to call ourselves a bicoastal operation.
Alfalfa Santa Monica patio pictured during the Grand Opening in February 2021
The pursuit of balance
At our core, we believe that our team is the heartbeat of Alfalfa. They are an integral part of what drives company wide joy and makes us unique. As a business, Alfalfa strives to be an employer that recognizes the importance of a strong team culture through the creation of valuable long-term career opportunities that are unparalleled in the food industry.
Alfalfa Santa Monica General Manager Luke Leonard
Our goal is for you to leave an Alfalfa experience feeling great, whether it was because of how you were treated, the way our food tasted, that feeling of calm in our space, or even what music was playing. It’s all in our pursuit of balance.
From all of us at Alfalfa, welcome to our home, a place of real food that inspires joy.
Dan, Andrew, Dan, Ben