By Laura Abruscato
Contributing Writer
All-Pro Health and Nutrition, the supplement and vitamin store at 847 Via de la Paz that has been owned by the Berk family for 40 years, has lost its lease and will be relocating.
The current space will close at the end of September, with most items, including hard-to-find books, vitamins, protein powders, kids’ supplements, teas and cosmetics, as well as store fixtures and décor, on sale.
City National Bank will utilize some of the space when its branch office moves from Swarthmore later this year.
All-Pro owner Diane Berk was unable to find a new location in the Palisades and is now looking for a storefront in the Brentwood/Santa Monica area.
“The lease was up and it had become prohibitively expensive, nearly triple the amount we were paying,” said David Berk, one of Diane’s four siblings and the store’s accountant.
During the transition, Diane Berk will be offering home delivery and shipping, and will be available for consultations via phone, Skype, FaceTime or in person.
“I’ll be a health-food store on wheels,” Berk said. “I’ll still be able to service people in the Palisades until we have another brick-and-mortar store.”
The store was purchased in 1976 by Berk’s late father, Jerry Berk, and continues to serve original customers plus second and third generations. It’s the exclusive retailer of Jerry Berk’s multi-vitamin Super-Vite, which he referred to as his “sixth child,” and his Nature’s Bonus Amino Acids.
“Super-Vite supports the central nervous system, helps with the immune system, one’s sense of well-being and digestion of food, and is an overall health insurance policy,” Berk said. “His amino acids maintain muscle tone, and help with low blood sugar and maintaining a happy mood.”
“I admired him tremendously,” said Berk, who keeps a sign behind the desk with her father’s philosophy: “Health is our only real wealth.” She has been running the store since his death in 1997.
Berk, a nutritionist and health coach, plans to create a website to market her father’s supplements globally, something she has not been able to do because of her dedication to the store and her clients. She works with private chefs to make changes to a client’s eating and is known for helping people get their weight down quickly before a special event or to recover quickly from illness before they need to fly.
“I still visit some of my father’s original clients who are in their 90s, who are still healthy, but they don’t like the traffic or the Internet and I come and deliver their supplements,” Berk said. “We carry on an old-fashioned way of serving our clients.”
Her 4-year-old Siberian husky, Lucky, the store mascot, is usually found relaxing on his dog bed outside the store.
To contact Berk, call (310) 926-3672 or e-mail dianeberk11@gmail.com.
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