Prominent Black-Owned Oakland Coffee Roaster Nabs Massive Space in South LA

Red Bay Coffee Roasters, a black-owned Oakland-based coffee company, will open a new space in Jefferson Park space this spring. Clocking in at 11,000 square feet, Red Bay’s new Southern California space will not only be a cafe, but a sustainable roastery and community hub that sits kitty-corner from LA’s 50-year-old staple, Harold & Belle’s.

This will be the fifth location for Red Bay Coffee, but the first in Los Angeles. The company opened in 2014 and not only roasts their beans in-house and serves pastry, they also offer speciality drinks like vanilla charcoal lattes and Red Bay’s signature candied yam latte, a nod to the the black community.

Red Bay founder Keba Konte plans to transport his Oakland vibe to Los Angeles by creating a community hub with a meeting and performance venue, an artist gallery, and space perfect for remote laptop workers.

Konte co-founded Berkeley’s Guerrilla Cafe in 2006, along with San Francisco’s Chasing Lions Cafe, before selling their shares to focus on Red Bay Coffee. The company believes in representation within the coffee industry, which is often criticized for lacking people of color.

Red Bay’s arrival is during an explosion of cafes throughout South LA, including Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen’s forthcoming and second Inglewood location, Inglewood’s Sip & Sonder, and Exposition Park’s South LA Cafe which opened earlier this month. Daytime coffee spot Highly Likely is less than a mile away from the future Red Bay Coffee.

Red Bay Coffee. 3001 W Jefferson Blvd, Jefferson Park, CA

• Black-Owned Oakland Coffee Roaster Announces Big New Headquarters [Eater SF]
• South LA Cafe Aims to Bring Great Coffee and Community to Exposition Park [ELA]