When Angelenosย think of Studio City, coffee isnโt the first thing that comes to mind. Itโs surprising, too, in a neighborhoodย with a range of foodโsushi to vegan to gastropubsโthatย there’s just about nowhereย to get a good cup of coffee. That is, until Coffee Source opened its doors this pastย February.
Situated onย Ventura Boulevard in a strip mall, Coffee Source isย small but well-equipped; the shiny, importedย Giesen roaster is the first thing you see when you walk in, usually with head roaster Casey Kooyman working on the almost-daily batch of beans. The cafe’sย reclaimed-wood tables and similarly unfussy decorย giveย a sense of what theyโre aboutโa focus on theย coffee, with a plan to keep thingsย small and simple, at least at first. โRight now weโre just working on trying to get our consistency down and cover everything we need here before we expand,โ says lead barista and manager Alanna Herbert, a veteran of top coffee shops in northern California.
Once you get past the sights and smells of the roasting, youโll find single-origin (mostlyย organic) and custom-blend espresso drinks, as well as popular cold brew, drip, and ice blended choices. Theyโll even make one of their special cold-brew sparkling-espresso drinks to cool you off. Other brewing methods include AeroPress, Chemex, Hario V60, French press, and even a syphon if thatโs calling your name. Coffee Source pulls shots from a La Marzocco GB5 with beans ground in Mahlkรถnigย grinders.
Thoseย beans come exclusively from distributors Bodhi Leaf Coffee Traders and Ally Coffee Merchants, which Kooyman mentions are all fair trade. Apart from coffee, the drinksย menu includes organic matcha, sencha, Earl Grey, and chamomile teas, along with chai tea from Tipuโs. Pastries from Crรจme Caramel LA, like their rich chocolate fudge brownies, berry tarts, and cookies, set off the drinks nicely. Coffee Source isย also working with aย local baker, David Vanlochem of Duidough, who makes the moist banana and zucchini breads they offer. In the futureย the cafeย hopes to offer more savory options, like sandwiches, but for now they’ve gotย Western Bagel productsย for those looking for a quick bite.
โWeโre the only coffee shop that I think is different here on Ventura,” says Herbert. “We want to be the next go-to coffee shop in the areaโnot only on Ventura Boulevard but in all of Studio City. Eventually, we’d like to start retailing to all of the surrounding shops.โ With growth as the goal, the Coffee Source team is working towardย perfecting their brewing, roasting, and overall coffee-shop experience before becoming what Herbert calls a โcoffee lab,โ with an eye onย offering cuppings and an array of classes focused on coffee.
If that sounds ambitious, Coffee Sourceย has already proved a popular presence in Studio City in just a couple months, showing how much the neighborhood needed a good local coffee shop. It should be fun watching them grow.
Tatiana Ernst is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and photographer. Read more Tatiana Ernst onย Sprudge.