Alex Moghaddam’s business was struggling.

He had invested in high-quality ingredients and authentic food items, but after working 112 hours, seven days a week for three and a half years, Moghaddam said he still wasn’t generating enough business to support his two restaurants, La Vita Coffee and Burger Vibe.

Moghaddam said he cashed out everything he could, pulling from his retirement funds and mortgages to keep the businesses afloat. Out of desperation, he turned to social media and asked local influencers to come try his products.

Hanson Mendez, a TikToker who reviews local coffee shops, saw Moghaddam’s message and decided to stop by to make a video reviewing the establishment. As he filmed and learned more about Moghaddam, Moghaddam said Mendez felt compelled to get the word out about La Vita Coffee and Burger Vibe.

He helped Moghaddam tell his story in several more videos and explain what the two restaurants offer so Moghaddam could post the videos on the restaurants’ social media.



Moghaddam said after years of trying to promote his businesses on TikTok, La Vita had only 63 followers and Burger Vibe had five. This all changed once he posted the first video Mendez made for him.

“I had completely given up ... I didn’t know how to gain a following,” he said. “All of a sudden, my phone starts buzzing and buzzing and buzzing.”

Moghaddam said he was wondering how he was going to pay to replace what he thought was a broken phone when he realized he was having TikTok notifications come in one after the other. The video he posted got more than 200,000 views, and for the first time, Moghaddam said he walked into work that week with customers waiting at the door.

Moghaddam and his wife run operations, along with his son, who likes to greet customers. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
Moghaddam and his wife run operations, along with his son, who likes to greet customers. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)

The specifics

When coming up with the menu for La Vita Coffee and Burger Vibe, Moghaddam paid attention to every detail. He said he wanted his burgers to taste better than his competitors', so he crafted his own recipe from a friend’s grandmother in New York and only uses organic, halal burger patties.



“I decided the best policy would be, if we are not willing to put the food in front of our child, we shouldn't put it in front of our customers,” Moghaddam said.

Along with burgers, coffee and fresh pastries, Moghaddam also imports bagels from New York for authenticity and uses Dubai chocolate because he believes the taste can’t be recreated.

One more thing

Moghaddam said he never expected to be rich immediately after opening the restaurant’s doors, but that he was surprised at how empty the space was before the videos went viral.


He and his wife wanted to create a family-friendly environment, as it was something they thought the area lacked. The corner lot on Washington Avenue has a large outdoor patio and a variety of indoor seating with board games available for families to enjoy.

While the concept of having two restaurants share one building confuses some customers, Moghaddam said it makes sense to him, as it was a European concept he grew up with.

After seeing more and more people come in and compliment his food, Moghaddam cried tears of joy knowing that he and his wife’s hard work was finally being appreciated.

“They came and started making a huge, huge difference,” he said. “We actually got a lunch time rush for the first time. It was so refreshing and such a relief.”