Espresso Scene, a mission-oriented specialty minicafe, has opened in the Downtown Los Angeles Fashion District, bringing specialty drinks such as horchata matcha, Earl Grey matcha and cafe de olla cold brew to the neighborhood.
The coffee shop is owned by business partners Mayan Arias and Ryan Jackson, who met while working at a previous restaurant job. They both have backgrounds in hospitality and customer service, and the two said they hope Espresso Scene becomes more than a place to grab a drink.
“We do encourage other small businesses to come and stop by. We’ll have a bulletin board where we shout out these other small businesses,” Arias said. “It’s a community-based coffee shop.”
The cafe officially opened on Sept. 1 with a ribbon-cutting, a mariachi band and community partners.
Mayan Arias and Ryan Jackson are co-owners of Espresso Scene, a new specialty cafe in the Downtown LA Fashion District.
(Espresso Scene/Submitted)
Espresso Scene began as an existing cafe that Arias and Jackson purchased as a turnkey operation just one month ago. Jackson said they had been discussing the possibility of working together on a coffee shop for the past couple of years before the opportunity came along.
Arias brings a passion for matcha, espresso and coffee shops to the partnership, while Jackson said his strengths are more focused on the business and expansion side. Together, they are now introducing their own vendors, products and community-focused plans while keeping the existing Espresso Scene name and aesthetic.
The menu includes specialty coffee and tea drinks, cold brews, lattes and bottled beverages. Among the featured drinks are the horchata matcha and Earl Gray matcha, which Jackson and Arias said are two of their specialties.
The cafe is also introducing soup lattes, a caffeine-free option made using the same process as a traditional latte, through a collaboration with Soup Latte. They plan to offer truffle mushroom and coconut curry flavors.
“We’re excited to work with them because they’re a newer company as well,” Jackson said. “We’ll be one of their first locations offered in Downtown LA.”
Espresso Scene’s coffee beans are sourced from Stereoscope Coffee, which gets its beans from countries including Ethiopia, Guatemala and Colombia. They are also working with local businesses and vendors as they continue expanding the menu.
Food options will initially be limited as they coordinate with distributors, but they plan to offer fresh-made sandwiches, breakfast burritos, pastries, protein bars and breakfast wraps.
The cafe’s emphasis on community is also reflected in their backgrounds. Arias was born and raised in Los Angeles and comes from a Mexican family, with her mother’s side from Oaxaca and her father’s side from Sonora. Jackson is originally from Hawaii and said his experiences there shaped his appreciation for community and culture.
That influence will extend to the menu as they look for ways to incorporate different cultures and reflect Los Angeles’ diversity.
“There is a lot of Hispanic and Mexican influence in our drinks, and we are going to be trying other drinks because LA is very diverse,” Arias said. “We do want to make sure to include other cultures as well.”
Jackson added that he hopes Espresso Scene can help give more exposure to local food trucks, coffee roasters, vendors and other small businesses.
“We want to take the opportunity to build our brand and our experience for our guests,” Jackson said. “But then elevate other food trucks or coffee roasters or fellow industry people that might need a little bit more exposure.”
Jackson and Arias have also connected with community organizations, including Inclusive Action for the City, a nonprofit that supports aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. They said they hope to continue developing relationships with organizations throughout the Fashion District and Los Angeles.
Espresso Scene currently has about six seats in a hallway adjacent to the cafe and eight seats on the sidewalk. Jackson said they are applying for a special-use permit that could allow for additional sidewalk seating.
The cafe is open seven days a week, initially from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. As the business becomes more established, Jackson and Arias plan to expand the hours and potentially introduce an extended mocktail program from 2 to 5 p.m.
They also envision Espresso Scene becoming a resource for the community through future partnerships and job training opportunities.
“I want it to be a place of like positive energy and the kind of a place where people feel empowered as well,” Arias said.
Jackson said the long-term goal is to create a business that benefits them and the community around it.
“Just being purpose-driven, mission-oriented, community-based,” Jackson said. “These are values that again we want for ourselves as owners be involved in the community.”
For more information, visit them at 817 S. Los Angeles Street or follow the cafe on Instagram at @espresso_scene.