CHOICES CAFE INC.
COCONUT GROVE, FLORIDA

Our Mission The cafe features a wide variety of options for other dietary considerations. Indulgences such as house-made delectable dairy free cheesecakes and gluten free chocolate chip cookie, are proudly served for the dessert connoisseur. Alternatives are available for folks with the increasingly common food sensitivity, such as gluten free pancakes for breakfast and brunch. As modern preferences now crave dishes which are “nut free,” “soy free,” etc., Choices Cafe stays ahead of the trend by having already developed allergy-attentive meals to satisfy even the most meticulous palates. For anyone seeking libations for their entourage, the bar at Choices Café Coconut Grove serves fine, organic, vegan wine, beer, sake and other carefully-selected flavorsome booze to impress friends and family with compassionate distillery. In fact, Choices takes commitment to green and plant-based eating to another level. Meals are packed in eco-friendly containers made of recycled or compostable materials used to return nutritional goodness back to the Earth. The cafes use safe and natural cleaning products and encourage conscious eating through posters that explain the nourishing quality of their ingredients. All water for drinking, cooking and washing is purified. Food quality is assured by cooking techniques that retain nourishing features of the vegetables, grains, legumes or other produce brought fresh from farms every week. Choices' Mission Choices Café mission and story, is centered around, first and foremost, a business founded on the principle that better eating leads to healthier individuals and an improved society. Both the restaurant and the food production line are a family-run enterprise established, originallyd led by two brothers whose values made a valuable business. The founders, Alex and Jorge Cuevas, stay grounded on three missions which drive their impetus: As Choice’s story evolves, so does veganism, specifically in Miami but also abroad. As a restaurant serving 100% plant-based food, Choices Cafe has filled a large void in Miami. Vegan restaurants have long-been thriving in cities such as New York and LA, and continue to grow in numbers. Consumers have become much more conscious and discerning in regards to what they will consume when dining out. Choices Cafe has proven that diners are enthusiastic about organic, freshly made food that is hearty and taste-worthy. Few of the restaurant’s consumers are exclusively plant-based eaters. In fact the vast majority of the customers who enjoy Choices are omnivores. Most patrons come because of the taste of the food and the reputation of the café, rather than any vested interest in the missions or in veganism per se. The true secret to the success of the restaurant has been catering to everyday folks who want to feel good as well as savvy people who know that their health is worth the investment. The cafe also offers a wide variety of options for other dietary considerations. Indulgences such as house-made dairy free cheesecakes and coffee crumble cakes are made available to folks with the increasingly common sensitivity to gluten which is otherwise a common restriction when dining out. As modern food interests and preferences evolve for items that are “nut free,” “soy free,” etc., Choices Cafe has been ahead of the trend, already having perfected the combination of allergy free food that also can satisfy even the most meticulous palates. From the very beginning, the founders of the café established a goal to inspire such ordinary individuals to recognize that healthy food can be mouthwatering and that plant-based foods can provide benefits for everyone. Ultimately, the mission has been a success. The community has embraced the concept. After less than a year and a half since opening, the small but successful business is now expanding to more locations. The restaurant has earned both commendation and demands for more. The founders are now working to expand their mission through several critical next steps: The Ganesh Story – Several weeks ago, I was doing my routine meditation on the sand here in Miami Beach, followed by prayer, asking the universe / God – help me resonate with my true purpose. I asked to be given clarity on how I could manifest my true purpose. This request is something I meditated for in earnest since the beginning of the year [2011] when I began “meditating”. Note – I had been doing the chanting of “Ah” and “Om” during these meditative sessions to help me stay in a meditative state. It was early AM, and I had just completed my meditation session- I commenced my barefoot jog on the Miami Beach sand. As I was almost wrapping up my 30 min run, I looked down casually, and protruding from the sand was a huge spike of some kind. I quickly slammed on the brakes as I was about to step on it and impale my poor bare foot! I squat down and picked up the spike, and pulled out a (brass?) figurine on a long chain. I had no clue what it was but I brought it back with me. I sent my friend Lori a camera snap shot of it, and she said, I think that is Ganesh, the remover of obstacles. I got the chills and acknowledged the universal message…not knowing exactly what that meant – but I had recognized in my head that my biggest obstacles toward fulfilling a life dream of operating a vegan restaurant were: 1) Living in NY and Miami, 2) My “loyalty” to my friend & business partner at the present company I work for 3) a commitment towards helping him grow his company, 4) my biggest fear- the fear of failure and 5) loss of certainty (income). The following week, I was forced to let go of NY due to the financial constraints two rents began to put on me – later my shipped boxes arrived in Miami and with that, one obstacle was removed. Later that weekend I was “fooling around” and I put the Ganesh necklace on… a few days later, I felt subconsciously compelled to remove another major obstacle – an honest communication with my business partner. We sat down. I explained to him what I believe to be my life’s destiny – I explained to him that people are dying, animals are suffering on a massive industrial scale, our earth is being depleted, and the major factor in this, is a human system with a lack of consciousness from those oppressing, and from people-notyet-aware. There is a lack of information on the atrocities of factory farming and lack of insight to proper nutrition. I MUST change this; therefore, I have to leave our company and open a vegan café.