The establishment is styled to be a place where civic and political discourse happens naturally, and the amenities offered are simply tools to achieve this goal. Indeed, the food, beer, and homey aesthetic that is served up at Manny’s are not the main draw. “When Donald Trump won the election, I realized that there was a need for a physical place for people to go who to get involved … to prevent people like Trump from being elected, and also just to have a more healthy democracy. The creation of Manny’s stems directly from the divisive election of 2016. “I was a White House intern, I was on the Obama and Clinton campaigns, and I worked on immigration reform and same-sex marriage.” “I’m an activist by trade,” he continued. While the spirit of small business entrepreneurship runs in Yekutiel’s family, the civic and political side of the business comes from his chosen profession. I’m not unique in that respect,” he says modestly. “It is the nature of being a small business owner. See you later.’” He makes no exception, greeting a mother who walks in the front door as well as her baby in a stroller. “We’re all running around, all the time, trying to make sure that our cooks are being paid and make sure that we thank our guests. Returning from his sojourn to the storeroom, Yekutiel explains that running a business is, in many cases, a juggling act. Fifty to 100 people will be in attendance, Hilladakis explains, to leave from Manny’s and sweep the streets. He then turns to Caleb Hilladakis, his events coordinator, and asks him to explain a weekly street-cleaning operation kicking off at the cafe, while he goes to the backroom to talk with more workers. “Between 50 and 100 lunch boxes” for a community street cleaning event, he says. Then it’s back to business: “I have another gig for you,” says Yekutiel, pitching me a story. They both commiserate over their newly discovered common ground. “I’m from around there as well!” the man chimes in. A man pushing a cart of brown sandwich bags walks in the front door and overhears Yekutiel talking about growing up around Los Angeles.
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