A FRESH PERSPECTIVE.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE - Set up in an old office, smack dab in the middle of a gray, bustling street, Somi and Veena Rehil have staked out a natural enclave.

At the heavily traveled intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street, the couple opened A-1 Produce and Veggie Lovers Deli, an all-natural foods store in a very unnatural setting.

Somi Rehil spent a year transforming the former real estate office, installing heavy duty refrigerators and a deli, setting up contacts with wholesalers to stock his shelves with fresh, inexpensive veggies and fruits. Each day, he puts in 15 hours of work with no time off, no vacations and little rest.

Life wasn't always this taxing for the personable entrepreneur. For more than a decade, he ran a chain of successful Indian restaurants, a business that came naturally to him. But a midlife religious conversion led him to vegetarianism, and suddenly the serving of meat in the restaurant business didn't seem so appetizing.

``I thought if I don't eat it,'' Rehil said, adjusting watermelons, ``I should not be serving it.''

So he sold his operations and started anew. He saw the personal benefits of his newfound diet, as his cholesterol plummeted and he dropped 20 pounds. And as his health improved, he decided to seek out ways to get back in business while promoting the virtues of vegetarianism. After lengthy community research and preparation, the husband and wife team decided to throw their efforts into A-1. After three months in business, the store has become a fast favorite with shoppers.

``A lot of people are becoming vegetarians for health reasons,'' Rehil said. ``The market's growing a lot, so we thought it was a good opportunity to get in on it.''

He selected his location for its close proximity to California State University, Northridge, where he figures socially conscious college students will make a tasty target demographic. Ethical eating habits aside, most customers gravitate to the store for its freshness and broad selection. Prices are kept low - green onions run 15 cents a bunch, heads of romaine come four for $1 - to keep the store competitive with its megacompetitors.

``I like their fruit, and I really like their low prices,'' said Shian-Shen Chiang, a housekeeper from Porter Ranch. ``They have everything I need here.''

For the Taiwanese Chiang, mushrooms and tofu are a draw. For others, the extensive kosher and Indian sections provide a better fit. A-1 packs a full range, from Mexican adobo sauces to Israeli sabra salad. Though not as well-stocked as full-service ethnic markets, the aisles do have an unusually wide variety of products.

``Vegetarians are looking for these items,'' said Rehil, wandering past a spice rack, the scent of cumin and cinnamon heavy in the air. ``At a regular supermarket, they're worried about looking at the ingredients. Here, they can close their eyes and pick up any item and they'll be OK.''

Arnold Ouslander, a Chatsworth retiree, drops by a few times a month, after becoming an enthusiastic fan of the fruit.

``Everything I've bought here's been good,'' he said, rifling through the apricot bin. ``My wife doesn't buy vegetables, so I've got to come here once a week.''

Though many customers share Ouslander's sentiments for the prices, rather than the belief behind the market, Rehil doesn't mind. Anything to get people eating their greens sounds good to him.

``When I became a vegetarian and saw what it did for me, it seemed like a good idea,'' he said.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, map

Photo:

(1 -- color) A-1 Produce owners Somi and Veena Rehil are joined by manager Robert Keuro in the new natural-foods market.

(2 -- color) The store features an extensive kosher and Indian sections and products ranging from adobo sauces to sabra salad.

(3) Shoppers load their baskets at A-1 Produce, which opened for business about three months ago in Northridge.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Map:

A-1 Produce