KCET.org: “An Urban Eatery Restoring Community Over a Shared Meal”

Driving down Long Beach Boulevard, on the corner of Bixby Road, one cannot miss SteelCraft. The open-air style urban eatery, built entirely of repurposed shipping containers from the nearby Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, is both colorful and inviting.

“The concept started with the desire to create a gathering space here in the Bixby Knolls community, over really good food. It seems like a simple idea, but we wanted to create it in a brick and mortar, which really fit the distinct, diverse culture of our city,” shared Kim Gros, co-owner of SteelCraft and a long-time Long Beach resident.

​SteelCraft has accomplished just that. When compared to the rest of the Harbor region and county, Long Beach has been labeled “highly diverse” due to its prominent black, Asian, white and Latino populations. From authentic Japanese ramen and Neapolitan-style pizza to pork belly fries and sliders, SteelCraft offers a unique blend of traditional and fusion cuisine that accurately reflects this heterogeneous community.

In addition to providing culturally inspired dishes, the eatery also caters towards its surrounding neighborhood, Bixby Knolls, which is up-and-coming from its initial slump in the 1970s and mostly populated with young families in want of a hip, communal place to gather.

“[Bixby Knolls has] been quoted as the neighborhood of Long Beach. It’s been revitalized and on the up-rise,” said Julie Schumacher, an ambassador for SteelCraft who highlighted SteelCraft’s universal food hall vibe. “Our vendors reflect the diversity of our people.”

Read the full article and see more great images here.