The big building on Grand Avenue has a pastry case full of fresh baked goods, and the counter is doing a brisk trade in sandwiches and breakfast plates. It’s a new restaurant called Shoop’s 131 that has taken the place formerly occupied by Schat’s Bakery.
Shoop’s is a collaboration between restaurant owner Matt Schuppel, noted in culinary circles for his Shoop’s restaurants in Santa Monica and Hollywood, and Sam Shofani, who owns the highly regarded Pain du Jour commercial bakery in Hawthorne. The bakery and kitchen are both up and running after a problematic start – the place opened briefly in March but closed due to problems with consistency, but reopened last week after further staff training. It seems to have paid off based on customer comments.
South Bay resident Sam Shofani is proud of the baked goods – his bakers were trained by a French master, and he boasts that they use premium butter for their croissants.
“It’s 83 percent butterfat, where most of the stuff you buy is fifty,” Shofani said. “You can really taste the difference, though if you’re on a diet I might suggest you try something else. We also have fresh baguettes and wheat bread. We make things without preservatives so they should be eaten the day you buy them.”
Shoop’s 131 – named after their address on Grand Avenue, not after the number of items served – obviously aims to be more than a lunch spot for the business crowd. They are open from breakfast through dinner, have a wine and beer license and some intriguing microbrews, and serve house-smoked meats and seafood. There are plans to eventually sell bakery goods at local farmers’ markets, which may help with name recognition for a place that is slightly off the main traffic corridor, but for now they are concentrating on serving the clientele who stop in for the freshest bread in town.
