The spot at 231 E St., which has been sitting empty since Peet’s closed in January will soon be brewing coffee again when Camellia Coffee Roasters opens mid-June, according to owners Rob Watson and Ryan Harden.
I met the pair early one morning as they emerged from the space they are working diligently to renovate so they can open next month. We walked back in and they shared that it “felt really great” just to paint the space and make it brighter than it had been. That small change already made the place feel welcoming and Ryan laughed and wondered why it had been so dark.
He shared that they had once taken over a Starbucks which had been cleaned “like they weren’t there,” its previous occupants even taking the bathroom sink and the tiles off the walls. “But coming into Peet’s, they left everything, they just walked away. Two very different styles.”
I was curious to hear what the two men believed they could do that would be better than their predecessor.
“We’re not owned by Dr. Pepper, that’s a good start,” Ryan responded and laughed. “It’s just us,” he continued, adding that they, “just want to make a place that’s fun and people can come have a cup of coffee and kinda enjoy their day and ritual.” Their staff is, “a really big important factor” in their other location at 1200 R Street in Sacramento so they believe that’s going to be “an important factor here too,” so customers can feel comfortable about frequenting the place. Rob added that they have, “very low turnover” and that they have “quite a few people that have been with us five plus years,” so it sounds like they’re doing something right. “Some days,” Ryan joked.
“We just want to make it fun” Ryan explained. “If you wanna come just have coffee, come have coffee and get out of here. If you wanna come have fun, and sit down,” that’s okay too. By fun Ryan means that he doesn’t want to have a place that’s pretentious. At Camellia’s, you don’t need to know a lot about coffee and can simply order and enjoy a cup.
In a previous conversation we’d had over email, Rob had explained that that their, “branding is light, approachable and fun” and that he thought it, “reflects our general coffee ideology. Specialty coffee can be a little intimidating and we really try to take that edge off. Coffee is also an important ritual for many people, we want to be a community institution that fosters that ritual and creates relationships. We buy great coffees and take great care in the process. We believe that milk is a vital part of the coffee experience and is often overlooked. We try to source some of the best milk available, we use Strauss from Sonoma County and Minor Figures for our oat milk and chai. Quality is important to us, not just our ingredients, but the customer experience as well.”
He added that he and Ryan, “have both been in coffee for many years, working throughout Sacramento,” and that Ryan roasted coffee while he managed cafes.
“In 2016, we started Camellia as a wholesale roasting company, supplying coffee to local bars and restaurants. In 2018 we secured a cafe space in the WAL Public Market, a shared building with other local small businesses. In 2022 we moved into 1200 R St. and split the building into a café and production space. In 2025, we moved our production space to a warehouse to handle higher wholesale volume. We’ve always wanted to grow organically and it’s quite fitting that we found our second location as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary.
“Our idea was always to make coffee approachable and fun by focusing on customer service. Our roasting style is unique to us and aligns with our motto: ‘Coffee with character.’ We really like Davis and think we will be a good fit. As we make the space our own and meet all city requirements, we hope to open by mid-June.”
Rob also explained that they, “roast medium, but our roast profiles are tailored to highlight the coffee’s region of origin. We buy many different coffee processing methods from around the world, but we really like natural-processed coffees. This process involves drying the coffee with the fruit still on it, these coffees tend to have a heavier body and noticeable sweetness. You have to be careful with natural coffees because they can be inconsistent and lack clarity. Choosing them requires special attention.”
Back in the café, Ryan explained that “people are very adamant about the way certain things should be done,” referring to the coffee making process, while Rob added that “there are multiple” ways and that everybody has their own. So they’re trying to eliminate the fuss and simply invite people in to enjoy a cup of coffee in a relaxed atmosphere.
“More of like a daytime bar” Rob added, “minus the shenanigans, I guess … just like a safe place for people to come where they know they’ll be comfortable instead of a stuffy or a little uptight type of deal, just laid back.”
The two chose Camellia as the name of their café since the original location is in Sacramento, the camellia capital of the world. “We’ve been doing stuff with the Camellia Society so that’s always been fun” Ryan shared. “We do their big flower show with them and do espresso service … they come in a lot. We’ve done videos with them about how to take care of your camellias.”
Rob added that they “try to bring a younger crowd to the idea of the Camellia Society ‘cause they’re all getting up in age a little bit and, we’re not totally in tune with like the internet end stuff, but we are more so than them so we ‘re trying to … breathe some life into it and keep the tradition going.”
I also found out that their “claim to fame” is their breakfast sandwiches. “They’re great. They’re hearty, they’re good — you’re gonna get full,” Ryan said, adding that they consist of a “two-egg omelet and then it’s folded …usually on brioche … it’s easy eating, people like them, very, very popular.”
Rob added, “We do really great coffee, too” and Ryan laughed quite heartily at that. “I think that the two pair really well,” Rob continued. “A match made in heaven, but the breakfast sandwich does get quite a bit of attention. People like to post pictures on the internet.”
The space will be transformed over the next couple of weeks as they work on “making it not look like Peet’s” as Ryan said, and giving it their “signature look” which will include pink tiles around the counter, a new bar top, espresso machine, and drip brewer among other changes, including a deep cleaning because, “it was filthy…”
I asked if there was anything else they wished to share and Ryan declared that Rob is “a really good dancer” at which point more hilarity ensued.
I’ll keep you posted about the coffee and the sandwiches, but I can’t make any promises about the dancing …
Jazz guitarist Barry Finnerty plays at Cloud Foret Café’s Saturday at the Patio series.
Karen Levy/Enterprise photo
Cloud Forest Café, at 222 D St., has already hosted three music groups this season as part of its Saturday at the Patio series. For the past three Saturdays, proprietor T.H. Fang has provided a lovely way to spend an afternoon, clearing the deck on which patrons usually enjoy wonderful drinks and fantastic paninis among other delights, and turning it into a stage for a variety of musicians.
So far, audiences have enjoyed The Recreation Jazz Projekt’s classic jazz, followed by renowned jazz guitarist Barry Finnerty and his Quartet, as well as Cloud Shine, a rock and jazz group from Sacramento. And on Saturday, May 16, Julie and The Jukes will grace the patio with their electric blues.
Among their members is Julia Simon who plays bass and is a professor of French at UCD where she also teaches in the music department. She shared that, “TH does a wonderful service to the Davis community hosting these Saturday concerts. He creates a welcoming place for folks to gather and listen to local musicians. We are so appreciative.”
In his generous way, T.H. hires these groups, sets up chairs and tables along the sidewalk in front of his café, yet does not take advantage of the crowd that gathers and closes for business during those two-hour performances from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. when everyone is welcome to sit and take in a free concert. I’ve seen people of all ages enjoying themselves; children dancing to the beat, elderly men tapping their toes, young couples out on dates, older couples holding hands as they sit in the shade of trees and umbrellas, delighting in the music.
If you haven’t had a chance to come down to the Cloud Forest Café for a concert yet, there are a few music groups to go — Folk Music Folks on May 30, Sour Diesel James on June 6, and The Big Band on June 13. And of course, check out the Cloud Forest Café’s unique food and drinks — Tuesdays– Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Mondays.
The music, food and family fun of Picnic in the Park returns to the Davis Farmers Market on Wednesday, May 20.
Picnic in the Park features a variety of prepared food vendors, farm-fresh produce, and artisan goods, making it easy for visitors to build a picnic dinner straight from the market.
Guests can also enjoy local craft beer from rotating breweries, wine from local wineries, and, new to the market in 2026, mead is available, offering a taste of the region’s vibrant food-and-beverage scene.
The musical act on May 20 will be According to Bazooka.
The next Davis Craft and Vintage Fair will be on Sunday, May 24, under the Farmers Market Pavilion in Central Park.
The cooperative is a twice-a-month, open-air market for local artisans and vintage vendors, with food and live music, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Music for May 24 will be from the New Harmony Jazz Band, from 2 to 4 p.m.