“We want to make healthy food feel fun and exciting, not a sacrifice — it should nourish your body and “We want to make healthy food feel fun and exciting, not a sacrifice — it should nourish your body and soul,” says Carol Roizen, co-founder of Parakeet Cafe.

Since opening the doors of the Newport Beach outpost, Parakeet Cafe and its nutrient-dense, seasonally inspired dishes have quickly become a community staple.

“Newport Beach is the ideal spot for us. There’s something uniquely inspiring about being right by the water.”

Parakeet Cafe co-founder Carol Roizen

Many of the customers are regulars, dropping by throughout the week for their favorite dishes and smoothies, and the staff knows all their names. And while some pop in for to-go orders, most stay and linger.

“Our dream with Parakeet Cafe is to create a space for health and community, where our guests can connect with one another over the highest-quality dishes,” Roizen says. “In Mexico, where I lived for many years, everything happens around the table. You connect and nourish through food. That’s what we want to create here.”

Husband-and-wife duo Jonathan Goldwasser and Carol Roizen were inspired to found Parakeet Cafe following a personal wellness journey. After their daughter Michelle was diagnosed with a rare disease as an infant, the family discovered the impact that the right nutrition could have on well-being and wanted to share this knowledge with their community.

Today Michelle is a thriving teenager, and the Newport Beach location is the newest addition to Parakeet Cafe’s growing flock. It’s the cafe’s only Orange County location, and a spot Roizen particularly loves.

“When we thought about being in Orange County, we knew Newport Beach was the ideal spot for us,” she says. “There’s something uniquely inspiring about being right by the water. You can feel the breeze as you walk in and see the ocean from your table. The scenery and surroundings are breathtaking.”

So is the space. The first time Roizen and Goldwasser did a walk through, everything was bare, but they immediately noticed the high ceilings and began envisioning the cafe coming to life with vibrant colors and a bright mural.

“As a small, family-run business, we couldn’t believe we were leasing our dream space in Newport Beach from Irvine Company,” Roizen says. “It’s been a very exciting step for us to partner with them.”

Irvine Company worked closely with Roizen and Goldwasser to streamline the construction permitting process and bring their dream location to life.

“Everything tastes better with a view,” says Roizen, who points out that the space naturally makes guests want to linger and connect.

All the menu items are made with real ingredients, organic and locally sourced. Everything is made in-house, including the dressings, which have a vinegar base for lower glucose impact.

“We put a great deal of thought into every dish we create,” says Roizen. “Food is so personal. It’s something you put into your body and should be made with intention and love.”

Roizen’s favorite menu item is the Summer Detox Salad. “It’s so fresh with pickled ingredients that are amazing for gut health, and it’s very high in protein with the garbanzo beans.” She also loves All I Avo Ever Wanted — “a Mexican-inspired take on avocado toast” — and the Brekkie Croissant Sandwich: “It’s my favorite breakfast-inspired dish.”

“I believe in this and do it with all the love in my heart,” she says. “This is my whole purpose and mission.”

Visit Parakeet Cafe at Crystal Cove Shopping Center for a transformative culinary experience.