Hundreds Pledge to Boycott Lassen's, Formerly Nature Mart

We’ve already shared in Los Feliz.

Blogger Klein visited 2080 Hillhurst Ave. just after Nov. 1 and discovered the new tenant is Lassen’s Natural Foods.

Founded in 1971 by Hilma and Oda Lassen, the privately held chain now runs 10 natural foods markets.

What bothered Klein was donations the firm made in 2008 supporting Proposition 8,  the voter initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California.

According to the Los Angeles Times, SF Gate and DontBuyFromBigots.com records, the three donations totaled just over $30,500 and were made between Aug. 21, 2008, and Sept. 15, 2008.

See related PDF in Media Gallery.

A total of $39.9 million was raised in support of Prop 8.

Many Lassens are also practicing Mormons. That includes Peter Lassen, the head of the 10-store chain. 

The Mormon Church was critical to the success of Prop 8 in organizing and fundraising, critics argue.

Prop 8, which passed after one of the most costly electoral battles ever, is currently on hold after a decision by a federal appellate court.

Klein said in his Down With Tyranny blog that he would refuse to shop at the store knowing Lassen’s was in charge.

He’s not alone.

A petition to pledge to boycott the store  has already attracted more than 230 signatures.  It reads in part:

Of course your company should be free to spend money in support of your beliefs, but a huge number of local residents (of all backgrounds and orientations) don't want our money being used to promote discriminatory laws. We, your new neighbors, will exercise our freedom by spreading the word and giving no money to your store.

We told Peter Lassen about the petition on Monday. He seemed frustrated but also prepared to respond.

“It was a family choice, a private choice,” he said. “We didn’t have ‘Support Prop 8’ signs in our stores. That is not the platform for politics.”

Most recently, he said, Lassen’s has donated to help build water wells in Uganda.

The firm, he added, does not discriminate in hiring or promotion.

“If you look at who we hire and how people are treated you will see that," he said, noting several stores have gay managers.

According to employees, Peter--the sixth of the founders’ seven children--has been at the Los Feliz store almost every afternoon since Nov. 1.

He's overseen employees busy restocking the shelves left bare after Nature Mart’s big blowout sale.

Most key managers remain the same, and the supplements and organic produce managers.

According to one employee, all Nature Mart managers were offered a chance to be rehired by Lassen’s. Some chose not to take it.

The employee said the last-minute timing of the Lassen’s deal left everyone unsure about what would happen next, but now things seem to be ironed out.

Shoppers seem to have settled down, too.

We caught up with Lauren Bradley, a fashion designer from Echo Park as she was leaving the store.

She said she’s been back several times since Lassen’s took over, for health advice. She said that’s the main reason she came to the old Nature Mart.

She’s been delighted that the same people have been there to help with her ailments, since she’s not much into “white-coated doctors.”

She seemed willing to forgive the Lassen family’s Prop. 8 support.

Like other patrons we talked to, she looked forward to planned changes like fresh-made sandwiches, an expanded supplements selection and a thorough renovation.

Whether former patrons will be as forgiving remains unclear, though the petition does include this language:

If you ever decide you want to take real steps toward undoing this wrong, we're wide open to positive change, and we'd be thrilled to have a neighborhood health food store that we can support in good conscience.

What exactly those "steps" might include remains to be seen.

Meantime, former Nature Mart customers on the store’s mailing list can expect to receive their first Lassen’s newsletter shortly.

Will you stop at Lassen's?

TAKE OUR POLL