Justin Gaich
“ A thriving community helps raise each other up by supporting and taking an interest in each other ’ s lives .”
Owner & Operator - Craft Roots Vegan Bar & Grill , Community Champion . jgaich @ craftroots-mh . com / craftroots-mh . com / 408-612-8297
According to Justin Gaich , owner of Craft Roots — a 100 percent vegan bar and grill , “ a thriving community helps raise each other up by supporting and taking an interest in each other ’ s lives .” Along with business partners Nyssa , his wife of 18 years , and his father , Nick , Justin is passionate about their business and what doors it may open for others .
With over 20 years of food service and hospitality experience , Justin has lived in Morgan Hill since 1989 . He attended San Jose State University , graduated in 2005 with degrees in behavioral science and sociology , and then managed Trail Dust Barbeque . In 2019 , he felt it was time to contribute on a larger scale , and so began his journey with opening a new restaurant from the ground up .
Justin is eager to change perceptions of what it means to be vegan . Four years ago , Nyssa watched documentary after documentary , which led to their change in lifestyle . It wasn ’ t easy at first , he admits , but several months in , he felt great . “ The world needs it . The animals need it . The more veggies we eat , the better off we are ,” he said . By supporting local farms from which they buy produce , multiple communities are benefiting .
Justin ’ s restaurant participated in Meals for Heroes during the pandemic through the non-profit Morgan Hill Community
Foundation . Meals were prepared , on multiple occasions , for local hospital employees . “ It was important for us to provide healthy lunches to help them get through the day ,” said Justin . The program also offered assistance to the participating restaurants by providing economic support . In addition , he contributes to organizations through donations of gift cards and raffle packages .
When he ’ s not working , Justin , a self-described California skater , enjoys one-wheeling , fingerboarding , skateboarding , snowboarding , listening to and playing music , and discovering new places with his family . He and Nyssa have two sons , Lennox , 10 , and Raleigh , 6 .
Named the Best Restaurant in the 2021 issue of the Morgan Hill Times , Craft Roots received ten other best categories , including Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant , Best Pet-Friendly Restaurant , and Best Vegetarian Food . It was also named one of the top 19 vegan restaurants in the U . S . by Gotham Magazine , and top five in Silicon Valley .
Excitedly looking to the future , Justin is gearing up to promote the Craft Roots brand and hopes to open two additional locations . In the meantime , he will continue to grow the restaurant while focusing on delivering meaningful customer service and a healthy , sustainable menu .
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