Conveniently located in the Marina Dunes Shopping Center, the 360 Health Cafe provides fresh, delicious, organic food to locals and tourists alike. Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Wei Su, the owner and operator of the cafe. He is dedicated to ensuring that all of his ingredients are wholesome and organic. He seeks to educate and nourish all who step foot into the cafe.
Below is the interview we had.
1. What inspired you to own your own cafe?
Well, I wanted to provide healthy food to the community, gyms, and CSUMB. There are not that many healthy choices around. Marina is missing convenient, healthy options. When people are hungry, I don’t want them to worry about what they are putting in their bodies. When we eat, it is about nurturing our bodies. When we eat a meal, it is important to ask ourselves, “what makes this taste good?”, “are these ingredients really good for me?”
2. What is your favorite meal to cook at home?
Alicia, my wife, does more of the cooking, she uses the steamer to make healthy meals at home. We love to make stews, but organic meat is expensive. In this area, it is hard to find food that is organic and affordable.
3. Where do you get your ingredients from?
Well, our ingredients are organic and sourced locally. We get our produce from Pinnacle Farms, Sunridge Farms, and Watsonville Coast Produce. If the farms don’t deliver then we drive to get the inventory ourselves. Sometimes we get the ingredients at the local farmer’s markets. We serve in-house bread which has a short shelf life because of how fresh we serve it, no preservatives, and no artificial flavors. If there is an ingredient that is not available, then we make it! For example, our boba is made in-house since there is no organic boba that we can purchase locally. We don’t want food weighing you down; we want you to feel good after you eat which is why we go to great lengths to get high-quality ingredients. We truly appreciate the farmers; they do the hard work.
4. What has been the biggest challenge to navigate through during COVID19?
There have been struggles since we don’t really know what is going on and what the impact will be. We wonder how can we stay open? We are saddened to have to let people go. Because of the closures and the virus, there is not enough traffic. We must find the balance between being a new business and how many people we can sustain. We are all trying to navigate through this financial crisis.
5. In today’s economy, what are you doing to bring added value to your customers?
Our food contains no preservatives, and we use organic ingredients. We bring value because customers can feel good about what they’re eating, and they will know exactly what they are eating because all of our ingredients are listed. It is important that people maintain a healthy body, especially during this period of time.
6. What is your favorite thing about your restaurant?
My favorite thing about my cafe is providing healthy food to our customers. We want our customers to eat healthily. When they visit the Monterey Peninsula, we don’t want them to worry about where they can eat. Some of our customers only eat organic food, which can make it difficult to find the right restaurant.
End Interview.
The Monterey Peninsula is so thankful for the hard work and dedication of the 360 Health Cafe. Stop on by for a healthy treat that you know is good for you!
Olivia Quadros
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