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Cafe Dulce Pop-Up Downtown Shuttered by Health Dept

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Matthew Kang is the Lead Editor of Eater LA. He has covered dining, restaurants, food culture, and nightlife in Los Angeles since 2008. He's the host of K-Town, a YouTube series covering Korean food in America, and has been featured in Netflix's Street Food show.

Though meant to last six months long, yesterday the department of health shut down Cafe Dulce's pop-up within Hold Up Art. Apparently, the temporary coffee operation was brewing without a valid health license. However, the real question is, how did the pop-up survive for the past two months and what tipped off the health department? Word on the street is that the local Starbucks (just across the street in the EVO building) might have notified health officials.

Last week, the district manager of Starbucks stopped by to introduce himself to baristas at the Cafe Dulce pop-up and discovered that Dulce was operating without a legal health permit. A few days later, the health department showed up to shut Dulce down. Coincidence? Probably not. It seems unlikely that local residents and/or office workers would complain about conveniently located Stumptown and Verve coffee on offer.

As a resolution, Cafe Dulce met with the health department and determined that the pop-up could continue to operate as a "community space" within the legal parameters — no more than 25 operating days within a 90 day cycle.

Because of the trouble involving a larger scale build-out and a long term lease, neither Cafe Dulce nor building management has yet committed to a permanent cafe or restaurant. But, Cafe Dulce plans to continue operating as a pop-up and will re-apply for the "community space" permit for as long as possible.
·Cafe Dulce at Hold Up Art Brews Stumptown Coffee [~ELA~]

Hold Up Art

425 W 11th St Los Angeles, CA 90015