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Gjusta opened in October 2014 as the community-facing heart of the Gjelina Group. Occupying a sprawling warehouse space on Sunset Avenue in Venice, it operates as an artisanal bakery, deli, café, and market rolled into one. The menu changes daily, shaped entirely by what Southern California’s farms, ranchers, and fishermen are producing at that moment. But Gjusta is more than a place to eat. It is a business built on the conviction that every purchasing decision is a statement about the kind of food system you want to support.
The Sustainability Print:
Direct Farm Purchasing at Scale:
The Gjelina Group purchases more directly from farmers in dollars than any restaurant group of their size. Sourcing criteria go beyond certifications: the team evaluates how farmers treat their employees, how they care for their land, and how they manage their water. Transparency is built into every supplier relationship.
Named Farm Partnerships:
The kitchen works with specific families by name. Schaner Farms of Valley Center for citrus. The Woolley family at Peads & Barnetts for pigs, flowers, and grapefruit. Three generations of the Gomez family at Munak Ranch in Paso Robles for produce. These are not vendor relationships. They are long-term commitments.
Curated Pantry with Intention:
Gjusta Grocer stocks products chosen for their sourcing story as much as their quality. Maine Grains, a community-founded heritage grain mill in Skowhegan that has purchased over $1,000,000 of Maine-grown grain from local farmers. Seka Hills olive oils, produced by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation on 24,000 acres in the Capay Valley using sustainable grazing and Indigenous land stewardship practices. Every item on the shelf has a reason to be there.
The Gjelina Group Foundation:
Founded when Fran Camaj began volunteering as a teaching assistant at Westminster Elementary in Venice in 2011, the foundation became an official 501(c)(3) in 2017. Since then the Gjelina team has volunteered at over 75 events and logged more than 2,500 hours with students at local public schools. In 2015, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Venice, the foundation invested in the Venice High School Learning Garden and established the Chef’s Club and the Gjelina Apprenticeship Program, training the next generation of culinary and food-systems leaders from the community.
Gjusta operates at the intersection of a world-class bakery and a genuine food systems commitment. It purchases directly from family farms, stocks its shelves with products from Indigenous-owned producers and heritage grain revivalists, and funds a nonprofit that has put thousands of volunteer hours into the Venice school community. The food is exceptional. The sourcing is traceable. The impact reaches well beyond the counter. For Tinġo, Gjusta is one of the most complete examples of what it looks like when a business treats every dollar spent as a reflection of its values.
