BrewWell Shutters As Developers Acquire Assi Market Land in Koreatown

And just like that, Koreatown’s most creative third wave coffee shop is locked up tight. Eighteen month old BrewWell, run by sisters Grace and Elizabeth Rhee, almost immediately struck a chord with locals who were looking for upgraded beans and a sense of decor in their neighborhood. The place proved so popular that hours were extended, seats added, and eventually, a few signs posted about when and where the laptop hordes (which descended on the place in droves) could set up shop.

BrewWell’s location was always a bit odd, though. Despite the artsy, glassy interior that offered oodles of sunlight, the building itself was attached to a longtime Korean grocery store Assi Market and hidden from sidewalk access around the back. Parking? Plenty. Foot traffic? Not so much. When, late last year, the Korean market shuttered amid an impending building sale, the writing was on the wall for the Rhees.

Things all came to a head at the end of January, when BrewWell posted on its popular Instagram account that they’d be forced to close their doors until further notice. Apparently the purchasing plan for the land they’re on doesn’t involve leaving the existing coffee shop alone, and thus the sisters are actively on the hunt for a new space.

While the whens and wheres surrounding the next move of one of L.A.’s coolest coffee shops gets sorted, perk up with a cup at one of these 43 other great coffee bars.