first look: crown cafe
The area now known more for its discount clothing merchandisers than its gourmet coffee offerings is about to get a little more grounded.
Crown Cafe, a new venture by Robert Kashefi, will offer Historic Core and Fashion District residents a trendy respite on an otherwise gritty block of Los Angeles Street.
As several large-scale adaptive reuse projects in the area come to completion, bringing a mix of young professionals, students, artists and other creative types to the area, the demand for that perfect cup is sure to explode.
“In LA, coffee is as important as air or water,” Kashefi related.
The young entrepreneur experienced overnight coffee success in an Orlando hotel property he owns, a grand slam he hopes to duplicate here with a mix of specialty coffees, paninis, juices, crepes, great service and quality.
A mid-April launch is planned for the 1,700 square-foot space at 523 South Los Angeles Street, in the ground floor of the former Hirsch Mercantile Building. Final designs will be available soon for the “hip and relaxing” interior.
Cosmetic upgrades to the building’s ground-floor retail spaces are also in the works and should begin promptly.
Though hours are currently only planned from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, that may change if the neighborhood demands it. Businesses in the immediate area roll down security doors every evening at 5:00 pm, leaving shoppers and residents little incentive to linger after dark.
“My vision for the cafe is for the residents to have a place to meet their friends and relax with a coffee drink and chill.”
Extended evening hours would be just one way Kashefi can make his shop the monarch of non-chain coffee houses Downtown. The benefits of catering to night-owl patrons are just being realized by some local businesses, but we’re giving Crown Cafe that advice in advance.
Crown Cafe
523 S. Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Planned Opening: Mid-April 2008
Planned Hours: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
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5 comments
533, 90013.
and i still can’t believe you noticed this was going in before we did.
Ah, that was a wording issue. The shop is at 523 but the building’s address is 533.
I wonder why I’m on the same block and my ZIP code is 90014…
Thanks for that, Jim!
huh, i didn’t realize that the santa fe lofts were 90014. maybe because it is on 6th street, it’s on a different route than nearby los angeles st. buildings. according to this map, it should be 90013.
Hi Rich, Stephen, Ira, & Bert:
I noticed your article and photos on the Crown Café at 533 South Los Angeles Street.
Interestingly, the basement of the Hersch*** Mercantile Building was home to my former office and shop back in the 1970s when I was managing an elevator service company. We also performed a major overhaul of the two elevators in that building.
Accordingly, I wrote a comment on the photos of the building on Flickr.Com:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=hirsch+mercantile+building
It was quite an interesting place and I would like to see more photos of its interior.
*** According to the building’s original blue prints drawn in 1925, the name on the title block was “Wm. Hersch Mercantile & Exchange Building”. However, the other documents pertaining to the building may have a different spelling.
Best regards –
Galen L. Dutch
San Francisco
its open and its amazing