EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected from the print edition to clarify that Nespresso does not allow its capsules to be sold by third-party retailers. Instead, the company sells its single-serve coffee products through its own boutiques located inside department stores like Bloomingdales and Macy’s.
Nestle Nespresso USA will open its first standalone L.A.-area Nespresso coffee store and café this month on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. The 7,500-square-foot outpost will be its second on the West Coast, after San Francisco’s.
Frederic Levy, president of the company, said California is one of its largest markets. The brand, which has been operating stores in the United States for six years, has been working on establishing a big L.A. presence for some time.
“It took us a long time to find a place where people were going to shop and spend time,” Levy said.
The company already sells machines and single-serve coffee capsules at its own boutiques located inside department stores such as Bloomingdales and Macy’s.
But Levy said he wanted to provide a different experience at the new store. It will feature a showroom as well as a coffee shop up front to stir curiosity.
“If you want to relax a little bit, you can sit at the café,” he said. “Most of the time people come in with more questions about the concept.”
It’s also a European experience, he added, so don’t expect to order coffee to go. It will only be served in china cups.
“I want you to come to sit and enjoy it,” he said. “Paper-cup coffee quality is not the best.”
Single-serve coffee brewed at home is the fastest growing segment in the industry, according to Roth Capital Partners in Newport Beach.
Socially Fashionable
Entrepreneurs Jorge Nuno and Mario De La Torre are starting Rosario, a unisex premium clothing line catering to working professionals. It’s a concept, they hope, that will one day benefit the residents of South Los Angeles.
Nuno, principal of ad agency NTS Creative, is bankrolling the effort. De La Torre, who has experience working at a private-label fashion house, is creative director.
The clothing will be sold online and in pop-up stores across Los Angeles, Nuno said. The line’s samples are manufactured in Montebello, but the pair are scouting for a permanent facility in South Los Angeles.
Nuno and De La Torre, who both grew up in the area, hope Rosario, which will debut at a fashion showcase Oct. 15, can help the South L.A. community by giving residents there job opportunities.
“Why don’t we manufacture locally?” Nuno asked. “Many of these factories are abandoned; South L.A. has unemployment. These clothes would not only be made in the U.S.A. but locally.”
Nuno and De La Torre are trying to emulate another locally made clothier, American Apparel Inc., by employing local labor and offering employees vacations and other benefits.
Nuno said being in South Los Angeles has its advantages as well. Rosario could leverage talent from the Los Angeles Trade Technical College and USC.
“We want to have a successful business,” he said. “But we want to help people at the same time.”
Revolving Doors
Philadelphia apparel retailer Urban Outfitters is more than doubling its Westwood Village presence by signing a lease with Topa Management for 16,556 square feet on Westwood Boulevard. … Magic Restroom Café is planning a soft-opening Oct. 12 at 18558 Gale Ave. in City of Industry. The concept is based on a similar popular restaurant in Taiwan where guests sit on lidded toilets and the food is served on bathroom-themed plates. … Church Key, an American take on dim sum run by chef Steven Fretz, is set to open this month on the ground floor of the Sunset Tower at 8730 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood. … Northern California coffee roaster Blue Bottle Coffee will be opening its second L.A. location, a 650-square-foot shop at 1103 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice in the spring… Atlanta flip-flop and sandal franchise Flip Flop Shops opened a store in Hollywood on Oct. 3 at the Hollywood & Highland Center. The company plans to add 10 more shops in Southern California.
Staff reporter Justin Yang can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 228.
