the springs los angeles la california raw vegan arcade coffee roasters cafe arts district sprudge

When it comes to food, Los Angeles is well-known for its love of all things vegan, seasonal, and โ€œclean.โ€ Of course, in a city ripe with fresh local produce, gorgeous year-round weather, and laid-back vibes, itโ€™s only natural that a restaurant and its coffee program would reflect these LA values and standards.

The Springsย is located in the heart of the Arts District, an area on the outskirts of Downtown LA once barren except forย warehouses and a few artist lofts. When itย first opened, in 2014, The Springs was a raw, all-vegan restaurant that also offered yoga and an attendant community centered onย health and wellness. The design wasย handled byย Design, Bitches, whose assignment was “to turn an old warehouse into an urban oasis. We were very inspired by Palm Springs andย Wes Andersonย films,โ€ says Jared Stein, theย co-founder. Sublime as all this may seem, the neighborhood was changing and its people wanted more. Stein offersย some insight into the process there.

the springs los angeles la california raw vegan arcade coffee roasters cafe arts district sprudge

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โ€œWhen we first opened, our kitchen was completely raw and vegan. While we produced incredible and inventive food, we wanted to expand our offerings and broaden our audience. Raw food can be a bit limiting, and a lot of the feedback that we got was for more options. Our mission is to serve the community, so we [took]ย that feedback very seriously.โ€ While there are no plans to go back on the Springs’ย principles of not serving meat and animal products, cooked dishes may be on the horizon. Steinย continues, โ€œWe initially had [only]ย cold brew for the first year, but given the size of our space, it has organically become a co-working and community space, so we realized hot coffee is a big part of serving the needs of our guests.โ€

the springs los angeles la california raw vegan arcade coffee roasters cafe arts district sprudge
Springs co-founder Jared Stein.

LAโ€™s Arts District is a prime spot for specialty coffee. This is the area where Blue Bottle Coffee bought out one of LAโ€™s original new wave roasters, Handsome Coffee; where Stumptownย built out their own roastery, and where other caffeine hot spots like Blacktop Coffee, The Wheelhouse, and Groundwork Coffee now brew. So aย new coffee program is a smartย addition forย a restaurant that wantsย to foster more than just a foodie crowd.

To that end, The Springs is equipped with a two-groupย La Marzocco Linea Classic,ย Curtisย batch brewers, andย Mahlkรถnigย grinders, making drinks served in custom-made coffeeware byย Clay + Craft. Itโ€™s also the only cafe in the area withย Arcade Coffee Roastersย at the bar. โ€œWe were introduced to Arcade through some customers and fell in love with their brand, their founders, and their philosophies,” says Stein. “We also love supporting other local small businesses. They are roasting right in Riverside and helped us get our entire program set up.โ€ Along with Arcade, The Springs servesย Sightglass Coffeeย and hopes to integrate a rotating roaster program in the near future. Not only are the roasters special, so is the โ€œmilkโ€: made every morning, it’s all plant-based, from almond to coconut, as no dairy is to be found here. The milks are keyย to creating equally unique coffee drinks. Stein explains that beyondย the classic espresso variations, you can get a “dirty horchata, which features our house-made vegan horchata and a shot of espresso, and the soon-to-be-released ‘4 p.m.,’ which is six ounces of cold brew and six ounces of horchata.โ€

the springs los angeles la california raw vegan arcade coffee roasters cafe arts district sprudge
Nitro cold brew at Springs.

Matcha and other teas are also in the mix, supplied by August Uncommon Teaย and AIO Tea Company. Vegan and gluten-free goods are providedย by the localย Coco Bakes LA,ย and theย many wellness classes continue apace.

And withย The Springs’ full food menuย justย launched (as ofย mid-June), the wealth of offerings here has only gotten richerโ€”so long as you’re down with amaranth.

the springs los angeles la california raw vegan arcade coffee roasters cafe arts district sprudge
The gluten-free blueberry muffin.
The Springs is located at 608 Mateo Street, Los Angeles. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Tatiana Ernst is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read more Tatiana Ernst onย Sprudge.

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