Meet Katy Strouk | Owner Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market, Bistro and Roxy & Jo’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Grill

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katy Strouk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katy, what do you attribute your success to?
I’d say there are three major factors that contribute to our success. We pride ourselves on offering curated products. With a considerable portion that we hand pick abroad then have sent to us in a shipping container. This doesn’t keep us limited to just what distributors offer. We often will run point on getting a niche European producer approved by the FDA in order for Monsieur Marcel to be the first ever US reseller of their products.

In addition, once we’ve obtained these products, we also ensure there are passionate, trained employees on the floor ready to talk to customers and assist with their purchase. No one else in the grocery realm really have sales associates on the floor like we do. Typically they just have stockers pointing out where products are .

Lastly, it’s age old but still true, hard work pays off when running a small business. A hands on approach with the products we sell and the people we hire make all the difference.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Originally, Stephane Strouk, my husband, wanted to open a business to sell the European products that he missed most from his home, France. This was a bit challenging in the early 90’s when US consumers were only just beginning to open their minds and palates to international food. It took time and energy to educate and for everyone to taste what we had to offer, but it paid off. Some hard lessons we learned is that what works in one location, doesn’t always work elsewhere. We have opened additional locations in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, only to realize that The Original Farmer’s Market is where we thrive the most. That was a hard lesson but one we took in stride. It was still always better to have tried and failed, than not trying at all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There is so much to do in LA! For dining, I would definitely take them to one or more of the following. Sushi Park on Sunset, Pizza Mozza, Melisse, Gjelina, Socalo and of course our very own Monsieur Marcel Bistro!

For cocktails there is the Hotel Bel Air, Baltaire, Drake’s on Wednesday nights by Michael Sutton and SOHO House West Hollywood.

For touring there is the Getty Villa, a beach day in Newport Beach, A day at Malibu Country Mart, Griffith Observatory, Pasadena or Long Beach Flea markets and The Grove mall and The Original Farmer’s Market on 3rd & Fairfax, where all our businesses are located.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Both of my parents constantly encouraged me to take risks in business. Always stating that without risk, there is no reward. This gave me the confidence to take the leap into business ownership. Also, my husband Stephane and that partnership has been essential in weathering any storm that business ownership brings on.

Website: https://www.mrmarcel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monsieurmarcelfm/?hl=en

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/monsieur-marcel-gourmet-market-los-angeles?osq=Monsieur+Marcel+Gourmet+Market