Canyon Coffee has been popping up on sunny days throughout Los Angeles since last October. With a prime setup, its founders, Ally Walsh and Casey Wojtalewicz, tend to appear in the least expected places, serving organic coffee to lucky Angelenos whether in Malibu overlooking the beach, or inside a Downtown boutique.
Even before founding Canyon, Walsh and Wojtalewicz were known for their coffee.
“We were encouraged and motivated by our friends every step of the way,” Wojtalewicz says. “They all viewed us as the ‘coffee people,’ asking us where to go when they were in a new town and in need of a cup, how to brew at home, etc. Starting our own company was a natural next step, and a way for us to continue sharing our love of the industry with more people.”
Although the traveling outfit is inspired by shops like Bar Nine and Menotti’s Coffee Stop, where Wojtalewicz worked prior, there are no plans to open a brick-and-mortar space just yet.
“Travel was a huge reason why we fell in love with coffee,” Walsh says. “Any trip to a new town revolves around finding and visiting roasters and shops. Now, with Canyon, we have an added excuse to do more of what we love, and without a shop, we’re free to pop up anywhere.”
Canyon serves drinks made with Moon Juice and ZenBunni Chocolate—the owners of which are friends of Walsh and Wojtalewicz. They also occasionally partner with June Haupts of Welcome Coffee Cart and his La Marzocco FB80 to serve espresso drinks, such as a ZenBunni mocha or Moon Juice Sex Dust, or Brain Dust, latte.
“We grind with a Baratza Encore grinder, heat up water with Bonavita kettles, make drip with French presses, keep it hot in BUNN airpots, and make pour-overs with either [a] Chemex or Hario V60,” Walsh says. “Wojtalewicz likes brewing with the AeroPress, too.”
Although Canyon’s main focus is serving coffee straight black, as drip or espresso to showcase their beans, Walsh and Wojtalewicz also put value in drinking coffee for health.
“We’ve gotten more into incorporating different superfoods into our diet over the years, and we’re interested in finding more ways to integrate them seamlessly into coffee without sacrificing the taste and feeling we’ve come to love. After all, coffee is a superfood, too!” Wojtalewicz says. Canyon currently serves a single-origin from the Chochajau Collective in Guatemala, but there are plans to soon start serving other varieties, along with a decaf Swiss Water option.
It’s only been a few months, but Canyon is growing fast. Walsh and Wojtalewicz have partnered with a number of LA-based brands and retailers, and are constantly attracting new fans. The couple hopes to expand to other locations and possibly even start a coffee travel guide on their site. Canyon posts their location on Instagram, so the best way to follow them in person starts there.
Tatiana Ernst (@TatianaErnst) is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read more Tatiana Ernst on Sprudge.
