Candle Cafe

FOR TAKE OUT & DELIVERY: 212-472-0970

Eco-Friendly

Our passion is compassion and sustainability. We share our passion with our guests through our vegan, organic, and seasonal cuisine, and through our "green" philosophy. Through our food and practices we strive each day to minimize our carbon footprint, thus making our planet and our community a cleaner, healthier environment in which to not just live, but to live in good health and thrive. The Food We believe that eating a plant-based diet and choosing local organic foods is the most direct and simplest way to create a more peaceful, sustainable world. Our goal is to bring our guests Food Fresh From Farm to Table™. In order to do so... • Whenever possible we use local produce. On a grassroots level, this addresses the troubling issues of the industrialization and centralization of our nation’s food supply and the destruction of our environment. This also allows us to support our local economy and small organic farms. • Our cuisine is made almost entirely of organic ingredients. Everything we serve is free of pesticides, chemicals, and hormones. We use no genetically modified foods. • We serve only plant-based foods. No animals are harmed or abused in order to feed our guests; this also reduces the huge amount of environmental damage that occurs due to the industrial farming of livestock. Our "Green" Practices Candle Cafe was the first Certified Green Restaurant™ by the Green Restaurant Association in New York City and both restaurants are perennially ranked among the "Greenest" businesses in the country. Our "green" practices include: • Investing in equipment, decoration, and infrastructure in line with our values. From energy efficient electrical and cooking equipment, to eco-friendly paints and fabrics. • Educating our staff about green practices and how to implement and maintain them in the work place. We also encourage our staff to take these practices out into the world with them. • Using only non-toxic environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and sanitizers. • Recycling glass, plastics, metals, grease, paper, old computers and electronics, printer cartridges, and more. • Composting our food waste. • Purchasing recycled materials whenever possible. All napkins, bath tissue, ink cartridges, menu pages, and office stationary are made from recycled materials. • Investing in wind power to help offset some of the environmental impact of running our restaurants. • Consulting, meeting, and working with other restaurants and businesses to share our "green" practices and help them to implement similar practices in their organizations. • Participating and working with other groups that share the same mission including: Social Venture Network, PETA, Northeast Organic Farm Association, Farm Sanctuary, Co-op America, Wellness in the Schools, NY Coalition for Healthy School Food, Better World Books, The Green Restaurant Association and many more.

History & Vision

The Candle story began in the summer of 1984, when Bart Potenza purchased Sunny’s, a landmark health food store and juice bar located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. In honor of the previous owners’ nightly ritual of lighting candles to bless their establishment, Bart renamed it the Healthy Candle and made it his own.
In 1987 Joy Pierson began frequenting Healthy Candle as a customer and friend. She eventually became the in-house nutritionist for the fast-growing eatery. Bart was so impressed by her commitment to the vegetarian and holistic movement that he made her a partner in the business. As their mutual passion for their mission grew, so did their power as a team in the vegetarian movement. In its 10 year history, the Healthy Candle evolved from a juice bar and vitamin shop, into a full service juice bar and cafe featuring a vegetarian menu of homemade soups, sandwiches, salads and entrees.
Customer demand overwhelmingly confirmed that Healthy Candle could make a difference in people’s lives by feeding them fresh, wholesome, vegetarian food. Bart and Joy knew they had to expand, but how? They asked, and the universe answered: on Friday the 13th, 1993, Bart and Joy won $53,000 in the take-five lottery, and Candle Cafe was on its’ way! Since 1994, Candle Cafe has been serving an organic vegan menu composed of the freshest ingredients available and has been continually rated as one of the best vegan/vegetarian restaurants in the country by both traditional and holistic communities. Candle Cafe strives to bring every guest food that comes directly from the farm to the table by using produce grown locally whenever possible. The cuisine of Candle Cafe also inspired Bart and Joy’s best selling Candle Cafe Cookbook. Candle Cafe also operates using the cleanest environmental practices possible and was the first Certified Green Restaurant™ in NYC by the Green Restaurant Association.
In 2003 demand for growth called again, and Candle 79 was born just 5 blocks away. This time, the Candle’s famed vegan, organic cuisine was presented in a different setting, a two-floor fine dining oasis with an organic wine and sake bar for the conscientious yet sophisticated eater. Candle 79 has twice been rated as Zagat’s #1 vegetarian restaurant, and its reputation is known internationally. It is a regular restaurant choice of neighborhood regulars, celebrities, politicians, and corporate tycoons.
Candle Cafe serves up a delicious and fresh array of organic delights in a warm and eco-friendly environment as it works towards it mission of health and sustainability. To further help it its cause, Candle Cafe also works in partnership with Social Venture Network, Better World Books, New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, Farm Sanctuary, Wellness in the Schools, Co-op America, and the Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association.

Mission

We at the Candle Cafe are dedicated to your health through our commitment to excellent vegetarian cuisine. Our inspired creations are comprised of a seasonal array of organic ingredients. This means that the food is grown without the use of pesticides and other chemicals which have debilitating consequences for both our farmlands and our health. By supporting organic farming and avoiding animal products, we acknowledge the interconnectedness of environmental, spiritual and physical well-being. We are delighted to nourish your body with delicious meals served in a vibrant and friendly atmosphere. We invite you to enjoy the good foods that come fresh from the farm to your table.

Team

Bart Potenza | Founder

Since 1988, Bart and his partner Joy Pierson have created three successful vegetarian dining establishments. Candle Cafe was the first restaurant to be certified by the Green Restaurant Association and both restaurants are at the forefront of campaigns to green the restaurant industry. The most recent is Candle 79, one of the first upscale organic vegan restaurants in the country.
At the vanguard of health food marketing and vegetarianism, Bart Potenza has written and lectured on the virtues of healthy eating for everyone. After studying at the City College of New York Business School, Bart was a successful art dealer for 16 years before making a change-of-career to the health food industry. His new lifestyle impressed him profoundly with his renewed vitality and sense of well being, and he wanted to share that with the public. In recent years, Bart and Joy have passionately supported the efforts of the environmental and animal rights communities, through their work in the Candle restaurants and beyond.
Bart is a proud member of Co-op America, Social Ventures Network, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, The Presidents Club at F.A.R.M., P.E.T.A. and Farm Sanctuary. He provides a wealth of inspiration and information through his daily aphorisms, which he posts on a chalkboard in both restaurants. A compilation of his works, “Look Two Ways on a One Way Street” is published by Lantern Books. The success of Candle Cafe and Candle 79 proves Bart’s original assertion that eating super healthy vegetarian food is a choice that impacts not only individual health, but also the health of the planet. Bart’s “daily bread” is his quest to make our world better for all humanity. He continues to be inspired by the growth and significance of the green movement.

Joy Pierson | Co-Owner/Nutritionist

Joy, a nutritional counselor since 1985, graduated from Tufts University Magna Cum Laude, and is certified by the Pritikin Longevity Center and Hippocrates Health Institute. Her passion for counseling and healing through great food lead her to join Bart Potenza at The Healthy Candle in 1988 where they began creating foods and menus tailored to the nutritional needs of clients from Joy’s private practice, and the Healthy Candle’s ever-growing customer base. Their partnership has flourished, and Joy and Bart have joined to create Candle Cafe, Candle 79, a growing catering and wholesale business, and the internationally best selling Candle Cafe Cookbook.
In addition to time spent at the restaurants, Joy avidly promotes their mission beyond the restaurants’ walls. She has written and lectured extensively about food and nutrition, sharing her expertise with an ever widening audience as more and more people become mindful of the positive effects of healthful eating. She regularly leads workshops and teaches courses on diet and nutrition. Joy has appeared on The Today Show, Good Day New York, CBS News This Morning, The Food Network’s TV Food Diners, and has been a radio guest on Joan Hamburg, The Howard Stern Show, and Walden’s Pond with Sheldon Walden on NPR. Joy serves as a board member of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Lunches and Wellness in the Schools. She is also an active SVN member. Her quest is to continue changing people’s awareness of health and well being and its effect on the planet and future generations by bringing farm fresh vegan food to as many people and as many tables as possible!

Benay Vynerib | COO

Benay Vynerib is the COO of Candle Cafe and Candle 79. Benay’s passion for great food, good health, and the environment made her a regular guest at Candle Cafe. She soon became fast friends and allies with Bart and Joy, and when she wasn’t traveling around the world in her position as a financial services consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, she could be found dining or helping out at Candle Cafe. In 2002, she decided to leave her job in financial services and join Bart and Joy at the Cafe with the goal of expanding the business and the reach of their shared mission. Within a year, a second location, Candle 79, was born, swiftly earning accolades for bringing elegance and sophistication to organic and vegan cuisine. Benay oversees both restaurants, and is responsible for catering, special events, private parties, and the restaurants’ charitable outreach projects.

Jorge Pineda | Chef/Manager

Pastry chef and kitchen manager Jorge Pineda helped open Candle 79 in 2003 with pastries that have revolutionized vegan baking. In addition to creating the desserts and the famous house-made ice creams at 79, Chef Pineda is still delighting his loyal Candle Cafe customers with his cookies, cakes, pies, and other delicious, “hard to believe they’re vegan” comfort foods. Chef Pineda was a major contributor to the Candle Cafe Cookbook and is delighting discriminating palates with his new line of vegan desserts for Whole Foods Market, “Candle Chef’s Cuisine.” His work has been featured in the LA times for the “Best Vegan Desserts in America”.

Mehdi Jakmaoui | Manager

Originally from Morocco, our manger Mehdi Jakmaoui has been and integral part of the Candle team since 1999. He came to us from the world of retail, where his professionalism, grace under pressure and easy, genuine communication style made him a natural in the service industry. On any given evening at the Candle, you’ll find Mehdi discussing the merits of vegan cookies with a child, recommending a wine to a regular, or leading the floor staff with ease, and doing it all with the hospitality and winning smile that have earned him the nickname, “the face of Candle Cafe.”

Mark Doskow | Manager

Mark is a Manager and Head of Development for Candle Cafe/Candle 79, possessing a passion for aiding the health of the individual, the community, and the planet through cleaner eating and living. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge gathered through many years spent in classrooms, theaters, restaurants, and on film sets. Additionally, Mark is co-founder of the Obie Award winning National Theater of The United States of America with whom he is still a contributing member. Mark is dedicated to working with Candle Cafe and Candle 79 in pursuit of their shared mission of creating a more sustainable, healthy, and happy society, one restaurant at a time.

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MONDAY - SATURDAY 11:30AM - 10:30PM & SUNDAY 11:30AM - 9:30 PM