D\u00e9j\u00e0 vu hit me the second I stepped inside Kitsch Coffee. It took me a minute to realize I\u2019d stepped back in time to the bygone era of Blake Edwards\u2019 1968 film, The Party. From the paintings on the wall to the amber-colored water glasses, the general sense of d\u00e9cor is vintage to the core. The caf\u00e9 is part of Vanessa Murray\u2019s Narrative building in Jack London Square. Murray\u2019s collective is a haven for mid-century modern aficionados and their allies. Kitsch is a brand new addition.<\/p>\n
The space was a perfect fit for Layla Kaufman and her partner, Max Rock, who helps out on the weekends. When I spoke with them, Kaufman noted that they are \u201cgiant vintage collectors and antique enthusiasts who love rummaging through junk stores and vintage fairs.\u201d Before they started operating Kitsch, Kaufman had worked as a barista for a decade. Her years of coffee-related experience have informed her attitude towards the public. She\u2019s a perfect host\u2014bubbly, attentive and energetic. Kaufman also makes many of the syrups on the menu such as lavender, rose, strawberry, ginger, vanilla and orange. Although she\u2019s only using the orange syrup, which she describes as \u201cvery light,\u201d for tonics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before it became Kitsch, the space sat empty for a couple of years. Murray, Kaufman said, cleaned it up for an art show. After seeing the gallery filled with people, Murray came to the conclusion that the neighborhood needed a coffee shop, a place where shoppers could sit down and relax. Rock describes the caf\u00e9 as a combination of Murray\u2019s visual design and their sensibility at the coffee bar. \u201cYou can see the potential clash of styles, but it\u2019s all mid-century, so it works,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kitsch serves Four Barrel Coffee with a range of beans from different countries. The espresso is a blend of African coffees called Friendo Blendo. Four Barrel sums it up as \u201ca balance of florality, brightness, and sweetness.\u201d De La Paz is the name of the drip coffee. \u201cFour Barrel acquired it probably eight or nine years ago,\u201d Kaufman said. \u201cBut they kept the name and the branding.\u201d For now Kitsch brews De La Paz\u2019s Big City Blend, but the caf\u00e9\u2019s also going to try the Peel Sessions Blend.<\/p>\n
Kaufman\u2019s curriculum vitae includes stints at Canyon Market and Tartine Manufactory, and for the past six years she worked at Breck\u2019s in San Francisco\u2019s Inner Richmond neighborhood. At Canyon, she became the supervisor of the coffee bar. \u201cThey had a great team of hardworking individuals; it was a well-oiled machine,\u201d she said. Will Eagle, the owner of Breck\u2019s, started the caf\u00e9 as a wine bar. \u201cBut he had the brilliant idea of staying open for longer hours and making it a coffee bar caf\u00e9, too,\u201d she said. While at Breck\u2019s, Kaufman helped bring Four Barrel coffee to Eagle\u2019s caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Kaufman then left Breck\u2019s to briefly work at George\u2019s Donuts. Less than a month into her tenure there, one of Four Barrel\u2019s account managers reached out to her. He told her a friend of his was looking to open a coffee bar inside of her vintage store in Oakland. He said, \u201cIt would essentially be yours. Are you interested?\u201d Kaufman had just turned 30. \u201cI was wearing a uniform and working for people and I had this dream of my own caf\u00e9, but it felt so far away,\u201d she recalled. \u201cI just thought I would try it. I met Vanessa and it felt like an immediate \u2018yes\u2019 and just wanting to make it work, and here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along with her homemade syrups, Kitsch also serves what the young people want\u2014cold drinks. \u201cGen Z, Gen Alpha\u2014they want fun flavors and they want cold foam,\u201d Kaufman said. \u201cI am very new to the world of cold foam.\u201d For those not in the know, it\u2019s a heavy whipped cream. \u201cBut not too whipped, and it sits on top of drinks and it\u2019s so rich,\u201d she added. For the grand opening party, Kaufman\u2019s going to work on her cold-foam game and come up with a few specials to run through the summer. I hope she names one in honor of the late Claudine Longet.<\/p>\n
Kitsch Coffee, 590 Second St., Oakland. Check Instagram for the caf\u00e9\u2019s hours: @kitschcoffeeoakland<\/a>.<\/p>\n