Echo Park’s Chango Coffee Flips to All-Vegan Sandwich and Salad Spot

A new plant-based deli is coming to Echo Park in the next few days. It’s called Counterpart Deli, and is situated in the longtime former Chango Coffee space on Echo Park Avenue.

Counterpart Deli is reportedly the work of Joshua Pourgol and the team behind brunch spot WKNDR in Los Feliz. Pourgol also runs Tacos tu Madre, as well as a string of cafes called Bardonna. Eater reached out to Pourgol to confirm his involvement and details on the project, but so far hasn’t heard back.

Most of what’s known now about Counterpart Deli comes from the company’s own nascent Instagram page. There’s a shot of seitan-based pastrami with vegan Swiss cheese, plus lots of toasts, salads, and other meatless options. Reps for the restaurant have also told commenters that they plan to open this coming Monday.

Chango closed in May after a 17-year run in Echo Park. Owners of the longtime local hangout cited gentrification in their goodbye letter — as did Silver Lake’s Casbah Cafe when they angrily shuttered in 2015 — though the incoming plant-based deli business was not specifically mentioned at the time. The coffee shop had been for sale for several years, much like Fix Coffee further up the hill which eventually became Australian cafe Pollen at the end of last year.

Look for Counterpart Deli to likely open this coming Monday, joining Matthew Kenney’s New Deli in Venice, Organix in Eagle Rock, and Kitchen Mouse in Highland Park as some of the most high-profile meatless delis in Los Angeles.

Counterpart Deli. 1559 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA.

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