A few years ago a cousin from the east coast came to visit family here in Los Angeles. In between finding things to do in LA and creating new familial memories, she raised a question that would eventually become a debate.

Her: You gotta have bodegas in Los Angeles. It’s a major city.
Me: We don’t – we have liquor stores, deli’s, and knick knack stores that don’t know what they really want to be.

That conversation would eventually lead us to drive throughout Los Angeles where I would prove that there weren’t any bodegas, and she would try to rationalize how a liquor store was almost a bodega. It was a waste of gasoline. If she and I had that conversation today I would be able to tell her we have one thanks to Larayia’s Bodega.

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Located on 6^th street where double parking is almost customary, you’ll find Larayia’s Bodega. The small shop is covered from wall to wall with merchandise, plants, food, and drinks that not only make you feel at ease but make you want to fill a handbasket with a bit of it all. Do I need a beanie in the summer? Absolutely not, but the ones they have are so cute I consider it heavily. While you walk throughout the space it may initially seem a bit haphazard, but it’s temporary. In the process of creating and solidifying their interior aesthetic and décor, their space selflessly serves the community.

While the organization of it all is momentary, what isn’t is the mission of the bodega: to provide healthy and affordable food to the underserved within the surrounding community. Finding ways to address homelessness, hunger, and food waste, the bodega partners with organizations and businesses to offer low-cost food to all those who walk into their doors. Drinks by Lunch on Me, bowls from Sakara, and favorite grocery items that you’ll find in big-box-retailers, Larayia’s sells it all but at a lower and reasonable price point. If you’re not hungry you can also find sea moss, vitamins, candles, and beauty items.
Regardless of what you’re looking for, Larayia’s Bodega has something for you whether you know you need it or not. Even better is when you shop with them, you help to keep their doors open for those in the community who need them around. Sure, I may be getting a bottle of their milks or salads, but if each purchase helps the store stay open so a family can get groceries for the day then I’ll return as often as I can. Plus the longer they’re here, the longer I can say there’s a legitimate bodega in Los Angeles.
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Address: 2713 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: (818) 357-9114
Hours: Daily – 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Social: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.