New Details On Intelligentsia Pasadena

Intelligentsia Silverlake, exterior. [Photo: solson/Eater LA Flickr Pool]
With permits in hand and a concept fleshed out, Doug Zell, Intelligentsia Coffee's mastermind, is moving full speed ahead on the company's next retail space: Intelligentsia Pasadena. "What separates this space from our other two locations is that it's in Pasadena. The neighborhood there in Old Town Pasadena reminds us of some European and South American cities where you can walk into a cafe or bar and be served a great espresso any time of day, but also a nice lunch, a beer after work, a glass of wine on a date." Inspired by a place he visited in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Zell is expanding the coffee brand by adding not only beer and wine, but also food.

"We're working out the menu details right now, so I can't say. We want the food to be seasonal, local and delicious. We have been talking a lot with Heirloom LA." The downtown LA based catering company seems to be doing quite a bit of consulting lately, recently partnering with owners at Covell Wine Bar in Los Feliz. And regarding that partnership with Eagle Rock Brewery Zell says he's moving forward with that, but hoping to introduce plenty of other local breweries and wineries.

So will the design be a copy of their laboratory-like set up in Venice? Or more of a traditional shop like Silverlake? "Neither," says Zell. The space is big, 2200 square feet to be exact, and will have a big bar featuring beer, wine and coffee. There will be plenty of tables for dine-in cafe service. The design, by Ana Henton, will use reclaimed wood, metal, and glass "in a beautiful, modern and functional way. The most important thing in the design of our spaces is that it fits into the neighborhood, that it adds something." Zell also says that much of the preliminary construction is done, so expect an opening just as the summer heat makes you want to put that coffee on ice.
· Intelligentsia Pasadena Location Revealed [~ELA~]