CoffeeBar Prepares to Compete on Spring
Lauren Mattia
CoffeBar is still under construction but plans to opens its doors in time for February's Art Walk.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Watch out L.A. Cafe, Syrup, and Spring for Coffee--a new caffeinated competitor is coming to town by early February.
While that stretch of Spring Street is already dripping with coffee—all four are within 500 feet of each other—owners Michael Leko and Will Shamlian will be opening CoffeeBar at 600 S. Spring and say they will offer coffee lovers an unparalleled cup of joe.
Leko and Shamlian are busy Downtown. They own Library Bar as well as nearby Spring St. The duo will also be opening Pizzeria Urbano in Wolfgang Puck Cafe's former location.
"It's going to be a high end coffee bar with only the best as far as quality of coffee," said Shamlian. "We are going to be serving Vivace and Verve, which are two of the best coffees you can get anywhere."
In addition to carrying high quality beans, CoffeeBar will be serving it from some of the best coffee machines, operated by "brew experts" that will ensure what Shamlian says will be CoffeeBar's "devotion to high end coffee."
The ever-connected coffee consumer can enjoy CoffeeBar's free WIFI on the large partially-enclosed patio. Although CoffeeBar does not have as full a menu as its competitors across the street, they plan to serve a variety of pastries.
Housed inside CoffeeBar will be an area that serves pour over coffee (also referred to as single cup drip), a back-to-basics brewing method similar to loose tea brewing where hot water is poured over coffee grounds into an individual cup. A New York Times article claimed that "the coffee it makes is so clean, so round and fruity, that you can fully taste all those complex layers of flavor that are supposed to be lurking in the best single-origin and micro-lot beans."
Who wouldn't want a cup of that?
Edgar Varela on January 28, 2011, at 04:07PM – #1
Welcome to the neighborhood. It is great to have more options to the already great selection of excellent coffee bars.
Eric Wang on January 28, 2011, at 04:10PM – #2
Great TI buildout going on here. Congatulations on the new venture.
Creg Thrmas on January 28, 2011, at 04:29PM – #3
Vivace and Verve haven't been amongst the top roasters in a very long time. Spring for Coffee has much much better offerings.
baddicus on January 28, 2011, at 05:52PM – #4
Inside the SB Tower building. Does this qualify as the best retail tenant so far for SB Properties?
Pamela Rouse (@) on January 28, 2011, at 09:32PM – #5
I like Spring for Coffee (they serve 'pour over' coffee as well and have quality beans) but it's not a comfy hangout kind of place that Banquette was.. So if CoffeeBar has drip for my au lait after noon (along with the wifi).. I definitely will give them a try.
swag on January 29, 2011, at 01:13PM – #6
Huh? I get Vivace, since it's been around since the early 1990s. But Verve was founded just two years ago. Things don't crumble that fast.
Alexandra Leh on January 29, 2011, at 10:45PM – #7
i can never get enough quality walking-distance caffeine. and pamela's right: spring for coffee makes a good cup, but it's built for speed, not comfort. welcome to the 'hood, coffeebar!
Edgar Varela on January 30, 2011, at 06:35PM – #8
Each one of these places offers great perks which is why they all make the rotation. LA Cafe has great patio seating and killer sandwiches along with there coffee and is a social hub. Syrup had deserts and cozy hide-aways to work on your laptop without being to social and a good espresso drinks. Spring for coffee has the coffee pedigree with amazing boutique roasters that are well selected to make great coffee and espresso drinks, super knowledgeable staff and a good on the go concept without quality compromise.
If CoffeeBar can be a combination of all three then they will do great, I am looking forward to the experience and some good drinks.
PS. Look into doing some espresso from Gavina (in neighboring Vernon), there espresso is excellent and there as local a roaster as Downtown has.
Rich on January 31, 2011, at 08:29AM – #9
I'm going to pop in to CoffeeBar at some point when the boys at Syrup aren't looking, just to try it. I'd feel like I was cheating on Syrup if they caught me.
Chris Loos on January 31, 2011, at 12:16PM – #10
Just moved in to SB Tower and was pleased to see this place under construction downstairs. Previous posters are right- you can never have too much coffee. Plenty of love to spread to all 4 shops.
Mikey Wally on January 31, 2011, at 06:28PM – #11
i don't think vivace and verve have the best beans, nor the best reputation. there are much older roasters with more experience and better beans.
Brady Westwater (@bradywestwater) on February 01, 2011, at 07:58AM – #12
This is a great addition to the neighborhood and an amazing new retailer is getting ready to open in the same building - right at the corner of 6th and Spring, with a Sixth Street entrance.
Ellys on February 01, 2011, at 02:46PM – #13
Welcome to the neighborhood CoffeeBar. I am looking forward to stopping by and having a good cup of coffee once the state of the SB Tower curb appeal has improved - I am grossed out every time I have to walk those sidewalks - The 411 is that the owner of the Spring Buildings has not paid the Business Bid bills. I wonder is CoffeeBar will pick up the responsibility to maintain that sidewalk clean and worth sitting out without being nauseated. Serious cleanliness improvements will be imperative before pedestrian traffic increases and as a consequence its business.
Jacob Holloway on February 03, 2011, at 09:59AM – #14
@Rich: Me too!... but I DO love coffee.
I would love a place like this in the Financial District -- though a short evening walk to and from Historic still qualifies as pretty great quality of life, and the higher concentration of residents means they'll be able to stay open later.
Speaking of which -- any word on expected hours?
Robert A on February 04, 2011, at 09:00AM – #15
Ellys: I checked and there is not a problem with the owner paying his BID Bills...I checked with the BID. The BID cleans the sidewalks but most owners Downtown wash down their sidewalks daily. I am not sure if he does that. I know my loft building does. The property owners pay the BID tax when they pay their property taxes.
Robert A on February 04, 2011, at 09:00AM – #16
Ellys: I checked and there is not a problem with the owner paying his BID Bills...I checked with the BID. The BID cleans the sidewalks but most owners Downtown wash down their sidewalks daily. I am not sure if he does that. I know my loft building does. The property owners pay the BID tax when they pay their property taxes.
TBerry on February 10, 2011, at 03:29PM – #17
Walked by there today to see if they were indeed open for today's Art Walk, the friendly woman behind the counter said they were still a couple of weeks away.
Peter Grenader on February 23, 2011, at 07:34AM – #18
Hurray! I was their first customer! I came in this morning, the 22nd of February at about 6:10AM. They place is very clean and the service was quite good, as to be expected on their first exchange. I ordered a mocha latte, which they couldn't make due to the chocolate not being put out yet, not a problem - so I went with a straight latte instead. It was excellent, but immediately saw what may be a problem with visiting again. $4 for a 12 ounce latte is extraordinarily expensive. With three other establishments which sell coffee drinks on the same block, I think they need to do some thinking about their prices. Knowing I could get the same thing for almost half the price at two places directly across the street... I won't be coming back until they do a rethink on this.
Eric Wang on April 26, 2011, at 07:41PM – #19
What's the story about this place closing so early? I walked by around 5:30 today, and the gate was down already.