When the family-owned, Los Angeles-based Don Francisco’s Coffee asked us to create the first-ever brick and mortar café, we looked for ways to honor their history while also preparing the company for future growth. The 2,100 sf space is one of many new businesses along a covered shopping lane in downtown’s Spring Arcade Building, from 1924.

Part of the challenge was designing seating for a space whose function went beyond a simple coffee shop. This had to be a go-to venue for all meals. We created custom furniture and flexible arrangements for different seating types to be used as workspaces, dining spaces, or a cozy hangouts for a drink or a date. Varied seating types facilitate service for breakfast, lunch and dinner; coffee products are sold atop custom brass and beechwood shelving by Base Collaborative. The overall effect is of a breezy, relaxed atmosphere, as if you’d visited Havana for coffee and a sandwich.