At the Western Regional Barista Competition, Archie Hernandez revealed plans to open a “wine bar for coffee” called Spring for Coffee on the ground floor of the old Lloyd’s Bank building in downtown Los Angeles. Hernandez (a 5 year Peet’s veteran) partnered with Maru Nagano (Morihiro Onodera’s longtime sous chef at Mori Sushi) and Ken Yoshitake (a fine art collector). March 11, 2009, marks the opening date. Hernandez is an L.A. native who fondly remembers “mom and pop shops” like the Onyx in the ’80s and ’90s. He’s hoping to help bring back to the community. A mutual friend introduced him to Nagano and Yoshitake and a partnership was born. Nagano and Yoshitake attended the same school in Kobe, Japan, but didn’t know each other growing up. Why downtown? According to Hernandez, “Ken lived in this building for awhile. He saw a need for this area…There are a lot of coffee shops, but nobody dedicated to brewing the best cup.” The space is only 296 square feet, with marble walls, an antique French chandelier and a coated wood counter. Their equipment: a sleek two-group La Marzocco GB/5, Mazzer grinders and Curtis drip coffee brewers, which will be employed during the … Continue reading Spring for Coffee Begins in Los Angeles