My name is: Philip Otto.
My stomping ground is: Echo Park.
You can find me at: I find shopping for food comforting, so you can find me either at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market or Co-Opportunity Market.
I’m known for being: Obsessed with design. (I’m currently at UCLA in the Design Media Arts program.) I’m also coffee obsessed. Online, you can find me lurking on the Home Barista forums.
I'm talking about: Green Genie (celery, parsley, spinach, kale, romaine, granny smith apple, lemon, ginger) Banana Mana Almond (bananas, almonds) Shakes.
You can find it at:
8382 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
What brought me to LA was: My parents. I was born (at home) in Laurel Canyon.
Before I launched this, I was: Not born yet. My parents started Beverly Hills Juice in 1975. Growing up, I was homeschooled and I’ve been working at the store since before I could see over the counter.
What inspired my family to create it was: Inspired by juicing pioneer Dr. Norman Walker and naturopath Arnold Ehret (who my brother is named after), my dad got really into juicing, became a vegetarian and decided to leave the music business. Together, my parents started a business selling juice. This is an interview I did with my dad where he talks about the last time he ate meat. I’ve never eaten meat and my dad has now been a vegetarian for well over half of his life. This was quite a shift coming from a family of steakhouse restaurateurs and eating meat three times a day!
The idea behind it: We’ve been offering pressed juice long before it became a thing. Every morning, we press small batches of juice from organic, seasonal produce that customers pickup from our location on Beverly Boulevard—which has been described as a white tiled walk-in closet. Since Covid, we’ve been doing sidewalk service where clients pickup juice by the pint or blended into a Banana Manna Shake.
What makes it different is: Through four decades, we’ve remained a tiny family business, committed to making juice that we want to drink, serving the community and caring for the environment.
One thing you can’t miss is: Cooking with juice—and making cocktails with juice. Apple Lemon Triple Ginger, 4 Citrus (orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lime), Celery, and Coconut Water Coconut are particularly versatile in this regard.
My favorite secret detail is: Our label and logo were designed by my aunt, who has a background in animation. Multiple (non-related) staff members have been with us for over a decade. My parents are still at the store every day, and my mom runs things day-to-day. This is truly a family business.
Today’s LA isn’t all plastic surgery and Beverly Hills (like the stereotype). It’s more like:Today’s LA is an art and wellness nexus spread across the countless communities that make up the city.
What helps me live my process in LA is: Hiking in nature. I’m a big of All Trails to discover new hiking spots across LA County.