Cafe Flora

Offering healthy, delicious food; giving back to the community; taking care of employees. It sounds like a lot of current business models. This, however, was Cafe Flora's operating basis upon opening in October 1991. Twenty years later, these basic beliefs are still firmly in place.

Cafe Flora's atrium

When David Foecke, Gracie Close and Scott Glascock decided to open a restaurant, it was for a very specific purpose. They had tried vegetarian restaurants all over the world and wanted to open one in Seattle that would make people understand that there is a lot of delicious food that just happens to be vegetarian. "Vegetarian didn't have to mean brown rice and tofu," says Flora owner Nat Stratton-Clarke. "David and Gracie were married and had other businesses; Scott had a restaurant background, as well as an interest in health care and non-profits. They looked at many locations, but lived in Madison Valley and wanted to invest in their neighborhood. They remodeled an old Laundromat and Scott ran it day-to-day." The neighborhood and times are different now. Then it was just City People's, Rover's and the original, very tiny Fran's Chocolate location. Bailey-Boushay was considering moving in; this deterred others but not the Cafe Flora clan. They wanted to be nearby. This year they are both celebrating their 20^th anniversaries.

When Scott passed away in 2004, David was pulled back to the restaurant while Gracie worked on one of their other projects. As Chef Janine Doran says, "They always chose people who were leaders and would take the reins of the restaurant. Everyone is listened to and involved." Janine should know. She arrived within a year of the opening and went from line cook to chef. Nat agrees. "Staff has always had ownership and you can see it in how long people stay. We have staff members who have been here 10-15 years." Janine attended the culinary program at South Seattle Community College and worked for restaurants and hotels. A friend told her about Cafe Flora and she was interested in the smaller environment and vegetarian food. "Once I got here, I was hooked. There is so much creativity in this kind of food."

Nat grew up in the Bay area eating vegetarian food. From the time he was 16, he worked in kitchens, peeling and slicing. Cooking was a passion, along with non-profit work. Moving to Seattle, he heard of Cafe Flora and its owner who was involved in the non-profit world. After meeting David, Nat was hired as a buyer in the kitchen, coordinating with local farmers. He became GM in 2005, staying in the position until 2007. David remarried and moved to California. Over dinner, David told Nat he wanted to sell the restaurant; Nat began reworking his resume in his mind. But David said he wanted to sell to Nat, and they made it work. "It was a very natural transition," recalls Janine. "Nat shares similar values. There's heart here."

Changes have been made over the years. "At first, no one wanted alcohol. They weren't drinkers. But within a very short time, they had beer and wine," laughs Nat. There is now a full bar, happy hour, and manager who focuses on finding local, organic, and biodynamic wines. Their cocktail program follows the same core values as their food: local, seasonal. Nat is intrigued with infusions. Each week they offer a different Bloody Mary (Greek, Italian, etc.). "We like to have fun," says Nat. "This is a business and we're serious about it, but we also want to enjoy it." For a time, they had an offsite catering kitchen, then moved it into Flora's kitchen, then gave it up. "We decided we should focus on what we do well," explains Janine. Their pastry chef, Marie Holtz, does custom cakes. "She's great," says Nat. "She went to culinary school in New York and was a line cook here. When our pastry chef left to have a baby six years ago, she took over." Two years ago, they began offering breakfast on weekdays which has been very successful.

In 2009, the staff remodeled the main dining room (pictured). Nat had design and architect friends who guided them in using the reclaimed wood from an old barn at Local Roots, and bee boxes and railings from Rockridge Orchard. Mason jar lights hang over the small bar. Even the soy stain on the concrete floor is environmentally friendly. The atrium has stayed the same. Outdoor originally, it was enclosed in 1996, with sliding windows and radiant floor heating. The herb garden has been redesigned with plantings and structures for tomatoes and berries to climb. The new look inspired Nat to open the space for dining as weather allows.

What hasn't changed is their focus on great vegetarian food from all over the world, using Northwest produce. "Nat focuses on key areas of growth, and one of those is expanding the number of local purveyors we use," says Janine. He goes to farmers' markets twice a week, taking advantage of what's in season, getting ideas from producers, and looking for new directions. "We offer specials based on what I've picked up at the markets, and list the farms we use in the dinner menu so people know where their food comes from. Everyone can find something on the menu. We do a lot of vegan and gluten-free items and are now doing soy free as well. We have stunning desserts that you'd never know are vegan, gluten-, soy- or nut-free."

Chef Janine Doran and Owner Nat Stratton-Clark

Their June 2 anniversary party featured local partners, introducing guests to the people who supply their food, and benefited Bailey-Boushay. Nat's premise is simple: "I'm proud to carry on the founding traditions, as well as be here for the many loyal customers who return to Cafe Flora year after year, for a simple breakfast, Mother's Day, or a wedding anniversary."

Connie Adams/June 2012