Downtown Los Angeles is one of the most rapidly changing areas in the city, soย itโs no surprise that itโs also a major target for new coffee-shop openings. New denizens, new businesses, new housing developmentsโall are contributing to a booming coffee scene. One of the latestย arrivalsย is Lazy Brewing Company,ย in theย Historic Coreย area.
I spoke to owner Jiniee Yooโa DTLA residentโwho says she decided to open a cafe after watching the โneighborhood change over the years as more and more quality businesses and products moved in. I decided now would be a good time. We are one of several specialty coffee shops in Downtown LA, the only one in the immediate neighborhood with a space that is big enough to have group meetings or friends hang out for long periods of time.โ
That spacious designโin fact, all of the decor and design in the roomy yet down-to-earth cafeโwas handledย by Yoo. โI used the space itself,” she says. “The old exposed brick, unfinished concrete floors, and rustic metal framed windows were an inspiration on theย design of the interior.โ The end result is charming, aย simple environment completely apartย from the busy street outside.
Coffee drinks are all made on a La Marzocco GB5ย espresso machine and ground on Mazzerย grinders. Lazy Brewing also offers pour-overs viaย Hario products. Drinks include your standard espresso beverages, with special add-ons to your latte like house-made vanilla or dark chocolate syrup to add to your latte. Giving the food menu substanceย are vegan donuts from Lamke Handcrafted, homemade jam with toast, and dressed-upย avocado toast topped with arugula, radish, daikon sprouts, cilantro, and a slice of lemon all on sourdough. In the future, Yoo hopes to add a few moreย food items but says that in the end she wants to keep things simple and focus on the coffee. The rotation of roasters spotlightsย many local toย Southern California:ย Portola Coffee Roasters from Orange County was being featured upon my visit, whileย recent starsย includeย Suits and Knives, Bar Nine, and newcomer Take Flight Coffee.
Withย such a large space, Yoo wants to presentย local artists and musicians on a regular basis. Itโd be a perfect fit since Lazy Brewing Company sits in theย area where the popular monthly Downtown LA Art Walk happens. โFor now,” Yoo says, “we are just settling into a groove.โ
Tatiana Ernst is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read moreย Tatiana Ernst onย Sprudge.