Inside Hollywood’s Sprawling New Sightglass Coffee

Sightglass Coffee is coming to Hollywood’s busy Media District tomorrow. The Bay Area import has completely overhauled a sprawling warehouse space with over 12,000 square feet of coffee roasting, coffee drinking, and pastry snacking capacity. This is far from just a small local cafe, though; owners Jerad & Justin Morrison have brought on renowned Bay Area chef Brett Cooper to oversee a robust breakfast through late afternoon lunch menu, filled with options like Sicilian-style square slice pizzas, bowls, and more.

Of course, of first importance for Sightglass is their coffee. The cafe will be turning out “quick cups” of batch coffee as well as V60 pourovers, draft cold brew, and a variety of espresso drinks, all using beans roasted on site in the back room on a vintage Probat machine. Diners will be able to get more than a peek at the whole process from the main dining area, as big windows look in on production. There’s a patio area as well, plus lots of capacity for grab and go ordering from the turquoise L-shaped counter, quick communal seating, and loungier spaces rich with blonde wood details. A crimson-red floor touches off the whole corner building.

Along with Cooper, who previously ran Michelin-starred restaurant Aster in San Francisco, Sightglass has brought on James Beard-nominated pastry chef Jillian Bartolome to oversee the robust cases. Together the pair is working a menu, shown below, that moves from citrus-cured smoked salmon on a bagel to a Japanese-style omelette breakfast sandwich to a fried chicken sandwich, salads, and sweeter fare. The two are working on a dinner menu as well, set to arrive soon.

For now, Sightglass Coffee in the Hollywood Media District opens Saturday, March 14. Expect hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The company’s second location, in West Adams, should open before the end of the year.

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Wonho Frank Lee