South LA Café, a Black and woman-owned café, market and cultural center rooted in the heart of South Central Los Angeles, has secured its second landmark partnership with the iconic Hollywood Bowl, which started on May 13.
Owned by Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace, South LA Café will serve as the exclusive coffee partner for the Hollywood Bowl, including all catering, concession stands, Marketplaces and an on-site Café located in the Plaza Marketplace. Earlier this year, South LA Café announced a partnership with the Natural History Museum.
“As native Angelenos, Joe and I are filled with pride on behalf of our family and our South Central LA community to embark on this industry-disrupting iconic partnership,” said Celia Ward-Wallace.
“Two heavy-weight brands uniting for social good and the advancement of equity and access in the arts and culture movement. We have deep gratitude for the Hollywood Bowl team for their unwavering support as we brought this power-house vision to life.”
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Laura Connelly, Hollywood Bowl vice president and general manager, said, “The Hollywood Bowl and the LA Phil are incredibly proud of everything there is available at the venue for everyone in the city. From $1 tickets to free daytime park access and parking to our superb concert transit options, adding this partnership with Joe and Celia from South LA Café expands the existing dynamic and varied Food+Wine options already on offer at this iconic venue.
“The family-owned café located in the Plaza Marketplace will provide a welcome new neighborhood service for our local community and also for visitors to this public park during the day, and their coffee will be available throughout the venue during performances. Using coffee and live music to provide connections that impact our communities, we look forward to the start of a beautiful collaboration.”
“What started as a mission to provide South Central LA with fresh, affordable and healthy food options has quickly evolved into a nationwide movement to elevate hyper-local businesses – while giving them the recognition they deserve – using our proprietary Community Centered Business Model™ (CCBM),” said Joe Ward-Wallace. “This is more than just a partnership, it’s a proof of concept for our framework, and acknowledgement from the Hollywood Bowl for deciding to follow the lead of Celia and me in creating a paradigm shift for the industry that will leave behind a legacy.”
South LA Café was built as an anti-gentrification effort at the intersection of impact entrepreneurship, community organizing and practical spirituality. Their revolutionary Community Centered Business Model™ (CCBM) explores the intersection of people, place and profit in an innovative way where everyone can win. It balances for-profit and nonprofit strategic partnerships to maximize impact and build both community and generational wealth.
By working in collaboration with local, small, minority and women-owned businesses, SLAC breaks the status quo and disrupts the industry as they strive for community wealth and wellness above all.
