A brand new restaurant called Zuzu’s Petals is making its debut in Long Beach’s East Village, located at 801 E 3rd St.
The new cafe will move into the former home of Steamed, one of Long Beach’s oldest vegetarian spaces, sometime around Labor Day Weekend, according to the Long Beach Post. Zuzu’s Petals comes from Evan Papadakis, the son of Tom Papadakis, who opened and ran the renowned Papadakis Taverna with his brother John in San Pedro for nearly 40 years. The new restaurant will focus on casual breakfast and lunch with walk-up counter service and a patio garden.
Evan was inspired to open up this restaurant after a 2019 car accident that left him in ICU for 12 days. Papadakis spent years working as a social worker, and all of a sudden, he was unable to and spent the rest of the year on the couch. Feeling depressed from the accident and the pandemic, Papadakis looked inward and tried to figure out what he wanted to do. He decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and open a restaurant where he could focus on serving and talking to customers.
After meeting and befriending Jessie Franco, the chef for The Cove Cafe, which sat below Papadakis’ office, he felt like a weight had lifted. The two decided to open a restaurant that would allow Franco to focus on developing a menu. The duo decided to name the restaurant after the 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” where a suicidal George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stweart) pulls out flower petals given to him by his daughter and is reminded of the meaning of life.
“Jimmy Stewart needed to live out a nightmare to realize he was grateful for what he had, [and] Zuzu’s Petals represent the life he’s grateful for,” Papadakis tells Long Beach Post, “like a cosmic pull to return to my roots.”
When the new restaurant opens, customers can expect a breakfast and lunch menu full of small-batch coffee, fresh pastries, and seasonal offerings from the local farmers market. An example of the delicious dishes found here in the mornings includes the chicken ‘n’ waffles with candied bacon, cinnamon creme fraiche, and blueberry compote. For lunch, some menu items will be the “smashed” burger, chicken Milanese, and a seasonal peach salad.
