Downtown Los Angeles is one of the most rapidly changing areas in the city, so it’s no surprise that it’s also a major target for new coffee-shop openings. New denizens, new businesses, new housing developments—all are contributing to a booming coffee scene. One of the latest arrivals is Lazy Brewing Company, in the Historic Core area.
I spoke to owner Jiniee Yoo—a DTLA resident—who says she decided to open a cafe after watching the “neighborhood 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.”
That spacious design—in fact, all of the decor and design in the roomy yet down-to-earth cafe—was handled by Yoo. “I used the space itself,” she says. “The old exposed brick, unfinished concrete floors, and rustic metal framed windows were an inspiration on the design of the interior.” The end result is charming, a simple environment completely apart from the busy street outside.
Coffee drinks are all made on a La Marzocco GB5 espresso machine and ground on Mazzer grinders. Lazy Brewing also offers pour-overs via 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 substance are vegan donuts from Lamke Handcrafted, homemade jam with toast, and dressed-up 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 more food items but says that in the end she wants to keep things simple and focus on the coffee. The rotation of roasters spotlights many local to Southern California: Portola Coffee Roasters from Orange County was being featured upon my visit, while recent stars include Suits and Knives, Bar Nine, and newcomer Take Flight Coffee.
With such a large space, Yoo wants to present local artists and musicians on a regular basis. It’d be a perfect fit since Lazy Brewing Company sits in the area where the popular monthly Downtown LA Art Walk happens. “For now,” Yoo says, “we are just settling into a groove.”
Tatiana Ernst is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read more Tatiana Ernst on Sprudge.
