Bear Coast Coffee Sprudge

Located at the southernmost end of Orange County, San Clemente, California, has always been a destination for surfers. Almost anywhere you are, you can see the ocean, and if you canโ€™t see it, you can smell it. And while its beaches draw many, San Clemente has never been a destination for coffee drinkers. That is, until now. In April 2014, Jeff Clinard, former general manager of, and part of the team thatย openedย Portola Coffee Lab, broughtย Bear Coast Coffeeย to San Clemente.

You’ll find it popped upย inside The Cellar, a restaurant, bar, and cheese shop on Avenida Del Mar. Baristas pedigreed byย shops likeย G&B and Portola Coffee Lab serve coffee from 49th Parallel, Ritual, Heart, and Intelligentsiaย here, on a matte blackย La Marzocco GB/5ย flanked byย Mahlkรถnig EK 43 and K30 grinders.ย Because of the limited counter space,ย Fetcoย is the soleย (hot) brewed coffee option. For cold brew, a triple-filtered Toddy system is used. Aside from standard drink options, Clinard’s crew will serve upย two flavored lattes should you wish them: Lavender Caramel and Nutmeg Vanilla.ย Both are subtly sweet, with house-made ingredients.

Bear Coast Coffee Sprudge

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Though situated vaguelyย within the greater LA areaโ€”about sixty miles awayโ€”ย Clinardย chose to focus on serving his laid-back local community instead of trying to impress people who were nearly two hours away. His business philosophy has changed since his time at Portola Coffee Lab: he wants to make good coffee, and make his customers happy because his friends and neighbors are his customers. After all, San Clemente is his home, where he lives with his wife and baby girl.

Bear Coast_barista in action_06

To this end, Clinard is planning the future of Bear Coast in a more permanent location by 2016. He’s already picked out his coffee setupโ€”aย La Marzocco Linea PB and a manual pour-over station, along with Fetco for those who are in a hurry.ย  The location is yet to be announced, but Clinard is already prepared for staff interviews, which will involve a group interview with a massive game of Pictionary.

“Coffee is a luxury,” Clinard says, reflectively.

Bear Coast Coffee Sprudge

โ€œIf all the coffee in the world was gone for whatever reason, people would be fine…For five minutes of their day, our customers get to “hire” someone to make them coffee and give them a few minutes to relax.โ€

And that may be exactly what’s needed in this surf community.

Bear Coast Coffeeย hibernates within The Cellar restaurant located atย 156 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, California.

Allison Bellows is a freelance writer. This is her first feature for Sprudge.

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