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Trendsetter Settles Downtown
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| Fabian Lobbi (left) of Kor Group and Urth Caffe founder Shallom Berkman at Urth's new Barker Block outpost. Along with a cafe, the facility holds a working factory with a bakery, a tea blending room and a full kitchen. Photo by Gary Leonard. |
Urth Caffe Opens New Headquarters In the Arts District
by Richard Guzman
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - With its reputation as a trendy spot that draws celebrities and model types, Urth Caffe is a much-touted and long-anticipated addition to the Barker Block in the Arts District.
But the Downtown Los Angeles location is more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee and spot a celebrity. It is also the new headquarters for Urth's operations, and is bringing approximately 100 employees to the community.
The $6 million, 14,000-square-foot project at 513 S. Hewitt St. will hold its grand opening Sunday, Nov. 16 (though it has quietly been serving lattes and grilled chicken sandwiches for a couple weeks). In anticipation of the star-studded debut, some area stakeholders hope Urth Caffe will do for the Arts District what Ralphs Fresh Fare did for South Park.
"Ralphs has really turned that intersection in South Park around. I think Urth Caffe is exactly the same thing," said Estela Lopez, executive director of the Central City East Association, which operates the business improvement district in the Arts District. "It's going to be a destination not just for people outside the area, but a gathering place for people that live within walking distance."
Urth began serving Oct. 27 and has already generated a steady, enthusiastic crowd, said Shallom Berkman, who owns the cafe chain with his wife Jilla.
"This is the perfect choice for us," he said. "Being in the Arts District, we still have the industrial elements, as well as a community."
Berkman founded the company in 1989 as a mail-order organic coffee roaster business. In 1994, the first Urth Caffe opened on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. In 2003, a Beverly Hills location arrived, followed by a Santa Monica spot in 2005.
The cafes have earned a reputation as trendy places for celebrities, socialites and hipsters, with the paparazzi sometimes staking out spots in hopes of catching regulars such as Jessica Alba and Lauren Conrad of "The Hills." It has also been a frequent film location, with numerous appearances in HBO's "Entourage."
There is substance, however, behind the glam. Urth (named for an old Welsh spelling of Earth) is known for an environmentally conscious business approach and for its use of organic coffees and teas, which it buys from small farms in countries such as Uganda and Colombia.
Its headquarters had been located Downtown near South Park for five years, but when the need came for more space and a more open atmosphere, the Barker Block seemed like a perfect fit, Berkman said.
"Community is one of the important things to Urth Caffe. We want to be part of communities, and that's what brought us here. We saw this as a new, thriving and artistic community we wanted to be part of," he said.
Interactive Cafe
The grand opening on Nov. 16 could well bring the paparazzi to Downtown. The invitation-only event is slated to include celebrities such as comedian Will Ferrell, rapper and actress Queen Latifah, actor Jon Voight and the cast of "Entourage."
While that may get the new Urth on "Entertainment Tonight," Berkman is hoping his customers will also notice a few other things.
"This will be the most interactive Urth Caffe. It's the place where people can come and are able to see the coffee roasting and do taste tests with our pastry chef," Berkman said as he stood in front of a window in the cafe that looks into the bakery.
Berkman wants customers to see the inner workings of the factory. Diners will have a clear view of bakers preparing desserts, pastries and other concoctions.
"They don't know all the work that's done by hand, and we're hoping this educates people and also gives them a better experience since they're getting it fresh from the source here," he said.
Patrons will also be able to see the coffee beans being roasted. Small batches of exotic coffee will be prepared on site, and customers will essentially become guinea pigs as the new blends, and items from the bakery, are tested.
"If you come to this Urth Caffe you will get to try things never before tasted, exotic coffees that are fresh roasted, and new pastries, new cakes, desserts. We'll bring them out, and if people like it, it will go to other locations," he said.
Working Factory
As a working factory, with a loading dock, a tea blending room, a full kitchen that makes a variety of organic sandwiches with free-range chicken and beef, and a bakery that delivers products to other Urth Caffe locations, the building blends in with the artsy, industrial neighborhood. Berkman noted that a century ago, the structure was an egg factory.
"We recycled all the original brick and wood into the interior and other parts of the building," Berkman said.
With its approximately 100 employees and high-profile cafe, Urth instantly becomes the flagship attraction in the retail element of the Barker Block, a $75 million project that developer Kor Group opened in 2007.
The project includes 297 lofts (77 are occupied; another batch will come online in spring 2009). Retail and other storefront outlets include the Arte Calidad Cultural Institute and Gallery, Lofty Dog, a dog grooming and daycare business, and Loft Appeal, a furniture store.
"It's just a perfect fit with the neighborhood," said Fabian Lobbi, director of development for the Kor Group. "With the organic coffee, the great service, the type of food they serve and the very cool crowd the Arts District brings, it's just a perfect fit."
Qathryn Brehm, a longtime Arts District resident, said there has been a lot of excitement in the neighborhood over the opening of Urth Caffe.
"Already there are people hanging out and meeting there and having get-togethers and meetings," she said. "It's just really very indigenous to the area."
The only question is whether the celebrities will flock Downtown like they do to other Urth locations.
"I don't know about that. I think maybe we'll have to wait until we see the paparazzi out front," Lopez said.
Contact Richard Guzman at richard@downtownnews.com.
page 1, 11/10/2008
© Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to re-distribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
But the Downtown Los Angeles location is more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee and spot a celebrity. It is also the new headquarters for Urth's operations, and is bringing approximately 100 employees to the community.
The $6 million, 14,000-square-foot project at 513 S. Hewitt St. will hold its grand opening Sunday, Nov. 16 (though it has quietly been serving lattes and grilled chicken sandwiches for a couple weeks). In anticipation of the star-studded debut, some area stakeholders hope Urth Caffe will do for the Arts District what Ralphs Fresh Fare did for South Park.
"Ralphs has really turned that intersection in South Park around. I think Urth Caffe is exactly the same thing," said Estela Lopez, executive director of the Central City East Association, which operates the business improvement district in the Arts District. "It's going to be a destination not just for people outside the area, but a gathering place for people that live within walking distance."
Urth began serving Oct. 27 and has already generated a steady, enthusiastic crowd, said Shallom Berkman, who owns the cafe chain with his wife Jilla.
"This is the perfect choice for us," he said. "Being in the Arts District, we still have the industrial elements, as well as a community."
Berkman founded the company in 1989 as a mail-order organic coffee roaster business. In 1994, the first Urth Caffe opened on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. In 2003, a Beverly Hills location arrived, followed by a Santa Monica spot in 2005.
The cafes have earned a reputation as trendy places for celebrities, socialites and hipsters, with the paparazzi sometimes staking out spots in hopes of catching regulars such as Jessica Alba and Lauren Conrad of "The Hills." It has also been a frequent film location, with numerous appearances in HBO's "Entourage."
There is substance, however, behind the glam. Urth (named for an old Welsh spelling of Earth) is known for an environmentally conscious business approach and for its use of organic coffees and teas, which it buys from small farms in countries such as Uganda and Colombia.
Its headquarters had been located Downtown near South Park for five years, but when the need came for more space and a more open atmosphere, the Barker Block seemed like a perfect fit, Berkman said.
"Community is one of the important things to Urth Caffe. We want to be part of communities, and that's what brought us here. We saw this as a new, thriving and artistic community we wanted to be part of," he said.
The grand opening on Nov. 16 could well bring the paparazzi to Downtown. The invitation-only event is slated to include celebrities such as comedian Will Ferrell, rapper and actress Queen Latifah, actor Jon Voight and the cast of "Entourage."
While that may get the new Urth on "Entertainment Tonight," Berkman is hoping his customers will also notice a few other things.
"This will be the most interactive Urth Caffe. It's the place where people can come and are able to see the coffee roasting and do taste tests with our pastry chef," Berkman said as he stood in front of a window in the cafe that looks into the bakery.
Berkman wants customers to see the inner workings of the factory. Diners will have a clear view of bakers preparing desserts, pastries and other concoctions.
"They don't know all the work that's done by hand, and we're hoping this educates people and also gives them a better experience since they're getting it fresh from the source here," he said.
Patrons will also be able to see the coffee beans being roasted. Small batches of exotic coffee will be prepared on site, and customers will essentially become guinea pigs as the new blends, and items from the bakery, are tested.
"If you come to this Urth Caffe you will get to try things never before tasted, exotic coffees that are fresh roasted, and new pastries, new cakes, desserts. We'll bring them out, and if people like it, it will go to other locations," he said.
As a working factory, with a loading dock, a tea blending room, a full kitchen that makes a variety of organic sandwiches with free-range chicken and beef, and a bakery that delivers products to other Urth Caffe locations, the building blends in with the artsy, industrial neighborhood. Berkman noted that a century ago, the structure was an egg factory.
"We recycled all the original brick and wood into the interior and other parts of the building," Berkman said.
With its approximately 100 employees and high-profile cafe, Urth instantly becomes the flagship attraction in the retail element of the Barker Block, a $75 million project that developer Kor Group opened in 2007.
The project includes 297 lofts (77 are occupied; another batch will come online in spring 2009). Retail and other storefront outlets include the Arte Calidad Cultural Institute and Gallery, Lofty Dog, a dog grooming and daycare business, and Loft Appeal, a furniture store.
"It's just a perfect fit with the neighborhood," said Fabian Lobbi, director of development for the Kor Group. "With the organic coffee, the great service, the type of food they serve and the very cool crowd the Arts District brings, it's just a perfect fit."
Qathryn Brehm, a longtime Arts District resident, said there has been a lot of excitement in the neighborhood over the opening of Urth Caffe.
"Already there are people hanging out and meeting there and having get-togethers and meetings," she said. "It's just really very indigenous to the area."
The only question is whether the celebrities will flock Downtown like they do to other Urth locations.
"I don't know about that. I think maybe we'll have to wait until we see the paparazzi out front," Lopez said.
Contact Richard Guzman at richard@downtownnews.com.
page 1, 11/10/2008
© Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to re-distribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
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Sandy wrote on Nov 10, 2008 10:20 AM:
Would love to get an invitation to the grand opening on Nov 16th.
Sincerely,
Sandy "