Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Jadin.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rachael. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I grew up in West Michigan in a tiny town called Saugatuck. Earned a degree in health and wellness while bartending in a resort town. Came to San Diego for the first time in January 2012 to run the Carlsbad Marathon. Fell in love with the city and the warm weather.
I visited again a month later and just ran up and down the neighborhoods to decide where I would desire to live. I put my house up for rent and moved to the Crown Point area of San Diego in October of 2012. Gained employment at Big Kahunas restaurant owned by Paul Fatta.
He later partnered with Hoffman Leung and reopened Big Kahunas as Bayside Landing. Bayside Landing was the first restaurant that I helped open — continued working for them at Bayside. Paul and Hoffman partnered with Eddie Okino of Turquoise Cellars, and I was asked to manage when we reopened as Second Nature.
Has it been a smooth road?
Big changes can always be a challenge. I moved to San Diego by myself and didn’t know anyone here. I worked a ton of hours over the summer back in Michigan to save up enough money to live in SD for six months if I couldn’t find a job. I sold everything and flew out here with three suitcases. I spent the first month and a half settling in and meeting new people.
I am a little shy, so I had to push myself to get out of my comfort zone. Being employed was a huge step in believing in myself that I was really going to make it. I didn’t know at the time that it would lead me to managing a sister restaurant and becoming an investor in it as well. Switching jobs and taking on extra responsibility was a challenge too.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Second Nature’s focus is on serving fresh, healthy food. We source as much organic and local foods as possible. We prep the majority of our items from scratch. It takes a lot of time, but it’s noticeable in the flavor of the food. What you put in your body directly affects how you feel and how you live life. Eating at Second Nature is food; you can feel good about eating multiple times in a week.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
San Diego is the perfect city to open a restaurant that offers vegan/vegetarian/ healthy food. I feel like people are much more aware of the connection between food and the impact it has to their well being.
More and more people are switching to plant-based diets, organic, grass-fed meats, and sustainable fished seafood. San Diego and other year-round warm weather cities tend to care more about their health. Partly because it’s easier to stay active and fresh ripe produce is available year round.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5026 Cass Street San Diego, CA 92109
- Website: secondnaturepb.com
- Phone: 858-247-5236
- Email: hello@secondnaturepb.com
Image Credit:
Chris Tran
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