Our mission is to create creative, unique, approachable, and comforting foods made from the highest quality locally sourced and foraged ingredients. We aim to be a community cornerstone where all are welcome to come share in the joys of life over delicious food. We work hard to support local farmers, producers, artisans, fishermen and women, craftspeople, and charities by keeping our money in our community where it belongs.

Larder

When it comes to Larder and Jeremy Umansky, I can say I have a very personal connection. Not only did Jeremy and I go to grade school together, we also went to Temple together. Jeremy is an amazing man and someone who I am most definitely jealous of while also being inspired by. How can you not be? He has created something so wonderful, special, and unique for the Cleveland community. The area would feel empty if Larder were not in business. Larder is world renowned with multiple James Beard Award nominations. Jeremy has a cookbook, Koji Alchemy, that has sold thousands of copies and is to be translated into Japanese. He is also a forager. He has an amazing wife, Allie La Valle-Umansky, who is a co-owner and the pastry chef. All very mind-blowing and impressive.

I can tell you first hand, that both the food and dessert are out of this world. The vegetarian options are unique and delicious. My dad can’t get enough of their fried chicken sandwich. The desserts are always yummy. My wife loves the place. If you haven’t been, you must go. I would go more often except its location is not convenient.

But even beyond the food, Jeremy is simply a good guy. He wants to use his platform not only to educate the public, which he does a ton, but he also wants to “do good”. Just like Birdie’s in Austin, Jeremy sees his employees as not simply his staff, but also his family.

Success for my wife and I is creating generational wealth, a goal for any entrepreneur and their family. We also want to provide long-term, good employment for our employees. Someone has to orchestrate and lead, but we’re all working together. It’s a distinctly small-business mindset, we employ people – people who become part of our friends and family, as opposed to being replaceable parts. We want them to be healthy and successful, and that means we have to pay them a good rate and take care of them. And you know what? They want to show up to work, they want to be here, they work hard, they don’t want to mess things up. I can step away and not worry about the quality of the food being served.

Five years in, Ohio City’s Larder is winning nominations and redefining Cleveland food, The Land

I have only scratched the surface of who Jeremy is and what he is doing (which says a lot about Jeremy and all of his success). With that being said, how one cannot be inspired by Jeremy and his story, I will never understand. As someone who was lucky enough to see him grow as a person/entrepreneur, I am thoroughly impressed and most definitely inspired. He is a great person who uses his platform to see genuine change and to leave a positive mark on the world. I hope that whenever I figure out what my dream is, I will be as inspiring as Jeremy is.

LarderDB.com

1455 West 29th Street | Cleveland, Ohio 44113