In a sun-splotched alleyway off Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California, sits Another Kind of Sunrise. Nestled in a 6-foot by 4-foot booth blocks from the beach, it serves up grass-fed ghee and coconut oil coffee (โbuttery brewโ) alongside eggy bacon-and-leek muffins, house-made nut milks, and coconut yogurt aรงai bowls. The clientele is mostly local, usually sundress-clad, and beach bound.
I stopped by on a warm Saturday morning to chat with chef and owner Lela Buttery (yes, thatโs her real name, of Guyanese and Portuguese origin), over a buttery mocha. Owning a seaside coffee shop is what cubicle dwellers dream of; I asked her to pull back the curtain on what it looks like day to day.
Whatโs a typical day for you?
On baking days, which happen three to four times a week, I wake up at 4:30 in the morning. Itโs zombie mode. I get dressed in the dark. My husband is an LA County firefighter and he works in 24-hour shifts, so [when] heโs not there, I need to feed and walk my dog.
Once I get to our commercial kitchen, I start making our muffins and brewing coffee. Iโll make myself a protein shake there with Mattole Valley Naturals goat-based protein powder, which we use at AKOS. Itโs closer [in composition] to our digestive system so itโs easier on our bodies. Iโll make a shake with that, add some water, maybe a little of cold brew, and maybe Iโll put some fruit in there if we have it. I love the crunchy texture of adding coffee beans, too. Iโm kind of a kitchen sink cook, so whateverโs there, Iโll just throw it in.
AKOS opens at 7am, so I usually get here at 6:55am and bring in the fresh goods. Once Iโm here, Iโll sit down and have a cup of coffee, and maybe a muffin or a granola bowl. Iโll go through inventory, checking what we need for the day and running to the bank or Whole Foods if weโre out of something small like creamer.
I usually go home around 9am and walk my dog. Iโll sit down and make myself an actual breakfast that typically consists of a couple eggs, an avocado, and spinach. Kind of a scramble, nothing crazy. The other morning I had boiled eggs and lentils.
After breakfast I usually have a cup of tea or just hot water and lemon, something nice, and start to get my work done. Certain days of the week I have to meet with my bookkeeper. Iโll spend time answering emails, attending to repairs, things like thatโitโs my logistical work.
Then, in the afternoon, I do my other jobs! Thereโs not a lot of profit at AKOS yet, and when there is, you canโt touch it, because thereโs always going to be something that needs attentionโlike a Vitamix blender that breaks, or something like that.
So I still private chef in the afternoon, which I love. I do that about two days a week and I have a couple different clients. I also teach diving two weekends out of the month, and Iโll take people over to Catalina Island with Scuba Haus. I love teaching. I also teach a couple of science classes at local schools.
I have a lot of odd jobsโitโs just about being a jack of all trades.
Wow, youโre busy. How do you find your peace?
Some people meditate, some people do yoga. Me, I go to the water. As soon as my body slips into the water, itโs relaxing. I just start swimming, I donโt get out of breath, itโs very meditative. My sign is a Sagittarius, which is a fire signโIโm intense. The water is very womb-like for me; it cools me down and centers me.
My husband and I also go out on a date once a weekโno cell phones allowed. Itโs really about enjoying each other, which is so important for centering.
What does the next year hold for you?
Iโm a dreamer. I have a lot of ideas. I think if I had to pigeonhole myself, I couldnโt. Iโm very much an explorer and entrepreneur.
I love talking to people, I love baking. Iโd love to write more. Iโd like to do a childrenโs cookbook some day. On a personal level, I turned 35 this year, and [my husband and I] are hoping to start a family. Iโm trying to figure out how to do that right now because Iโm doing a lot. So Iโve been doing a lot of soul searching. Who knows what our future holds; but Iโm always amazed looking back in retrospect at what Iโve accomplished.
Gowri Chandra is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles, and has written previously for Vice, Thrillist, and Shermans Travel. This is Gowri Chandra’s first feature for Sprudge.ย