Follow Your Heart Cafe is hidden in the tranquil back portion of the animal-friendly, entirely vegetarian Follow Your Heart Market in Canoga Park, Calif.

The business has been open since 1970, when its vegetarian founders set up shop in a building that, ironically, was once a butcher shop.

Many of the friendly Follow Your Heart employees uphold the values of the business in their own lives.

“Working here has been a huge influence on my lifestyle,” explained Brittany Edyburn, who has been a waitress at Follow Your Heart for four years.

Moorpark freshman Kyle Bolvik, 18, is also an employee of the animal-friendly enterprise.

“I’m not really a vegetarian, but working in this environment has changed my outlook on healthy eating,” said Bolvik.

The food offered at the cafe is surprising affordable and generous in portion size. The menu is extensive and each meal includes a special, typically one of their famous vegan soups. The award-winning veggie burgers, made by the Follow Your Heart brand, are unbelievably hearty and somewhat meat-like although entirely vegan. The vegetarian options are endless, including veggie takes on Mexican, Italian, American and Asian cuisine.

The restaurant is open daily from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Customers are welcome to dine indoors or outside on the patio. Many patrons spend hours soaking up the warmth of the friendly environment and socializing with other guests.

Follow Your Heart features its own line of meat-free products, produced at a solar-powered plant known as Earth Island in Canoga Park. This environmentally healthy practice is just one example of the earth-friendly actions that are standard of Follow Your Heart.

The restaurant and market attracts not only locals to Southern California, but is known worldwide for its foods and home-goods. The market strives to cover all aspects of vegetarian living, selling even gifts and books.