Four chapters. One belief. Everyone deserves a place at the table.
The Kitchen is our homecoming. Kaiy grew up in South Pasadena and is now raising her own children here—in the same streets, schools, and community that shaped her.
We chose to open The Kitchen here because this is home. We wanted to create the kind of neighborhood restaurant our family and neighbors could return to again and again: a lively, welcoming place where children are part of the room, plates are passed around, the music has soul, and everyone feels like they belong.
01STEMS CATERING & EXPERIENCES
We became a bridge when connection felt impossible.
Stems began just before COVID. When the world shut down, we pivoted quickly and used food to help people celebrate, comfort one another, and stay connected. Today, Stems is a full-service catering and experiences company creating immersive grazing installations, brand activations, corporate events, and celebrations throughout Southern California. Our work has brought brands including Neutrogena, HBO, Disney, Netflix, and TikTok to the table.
02THE CAFÉ
We gave gathering a front door.
Neighbors & Friends Café opened in Old Pasadena as a sandwich shop, market, community hub, and LA’s first build-your-own cheese box bar. We created an everyday place for thoughtful food, local makers, familiar faces, and real connection. It made the feeling behind Stems available without an invitation or special occasion. You could walk in alone, meet someone new, and leave feeling like you had found your people.
03NO NEIGHBORS LEFT BEHIND
Community showed us what care requires.
When the Eaton fire changed our community, hospitality became action. Our restaurants became a gathering and relief hub powered by hundreds of volunteers. Together, we served thousands of meals, supported hundreds of families, raised funds, shared resources, and kept showing up long after the first emergency passed. That work became No Neighbors Left Behind, our nonprofit built around nourishment, inclusive employment, wellness, and the belief that if you can help, you help.
04THE KITCHEN
And finally, we came home.
Kaiy grew up in South Pasadena and returned to raise her children in the same community that raised her. The Kitchen brings every part of the journey together: the creativity and scale of Stems, the everyday belonging of the Café, and the care at the center of our nonprofit. It is Southern hospitality, Coastal Italian comfort, California ingredients, and a lively room where friends become family. This is what coming home looks like for us.
This is not our attempt to become the next “it” restaurant. It is our love letter to home. A lively neighborhood table where children are welcome, the music has soul, plates are shared, and nobody is in a hurry to leave.
Come as you are. Jeans, T-shirts, sneakers. We care more about who’s at the table than what they wore to get there.
