By
Chenu Alexis
Published July 16, 2026
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Coffee shops are taking over Los Angeles boutiques
ByChenu Alexis
PublishedJuly 16, 2026
In Los Angeles, fashion boutiques are no longer just places where people buy clothes. To showcase their brand identity, many have opened their own coffee shops, transforming their spaces into places for people to meet and socialize. This phenomenon now extends far beyond fashion and reflects a profound shift in retail: at a time when purchases can be made with just a few clicks, brick-and-mortar stores must offer what the Internet can never replicate—an experience, an atmosphere, and a community.
Long before cafés became a staple of fashion boutiques, Teddy Santis, founder of the Aimé Leon Dore brand, envisioned his first New York store as a lively space where people could come to enjoy a cup of coffee just as easily as browse a collection. Inspired by the cafés of Athens and the Greek culture in which he grew up, Santis opened another location in West Hollywood last April.Behind the store’s façade, visitors can discover lounges adorned with dark wood paneling, marble, and antique rugs. The café, the centerpiece of the space, opens onto a tree-lined courtyard and showcases Greek specialties dear to Santis, such as the Freddo Espresso and the Freddo Cappuccino. A small grocery shop also offers olive oil, honey, teas, and other Greek products. A signature yogurt has even been created exclusively for the store.
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Madhappy
Opened in 2023, Madhappy’s first permanent store was designed in collaboration with the creative studio PlayLab as a truly immersive space in the brand’s universe. Behind its minimalist façade, the store centers around a tree-lined courtyard and the Pantry café, designed to offer a cultural and social experience.Built around a series of collaborations with the most creative figures in the Los Angeles food scene, the café updates its menu by inviting local chefs and artisans to create exclusive offerings. The coffee is brewed using beans from Hotel Drugs, a roaster renowned for its specialty coffees. On the pastry and dining front, Pantry has also welcomed Courage Bagels, an ultra-popular East Side spot, as well as Gjusta, a Venice institution known for its artisanal approach. Other local brands have also made an appearance, such as Awan’s plant-based ice cream and juices from Beverly Hills Juice. The brand recently opened a new store in Malibu, which also features a café.
Sporty & Rich
After building its success online, the Sporty & Rich brand opened the coffee shop at its first retail store in Los Angeles a few days ago, replicating what it had done for its New York location. The space has a “private club” vibe that extends the brand’s universe, conceived by Emily Oberg, “blending nostalgia for American country clubs, 1980s wellness aesthetics, and California’s ‘healthy lifestyle’ culture.”The visual identity incorporates Sporty & Rich’s signature style with a palette of cream and bottle-green tones, and the café menu features a wellness-focused selection of beverages, juices, and healthy options such as matcha, iced coffees, cold drinks, and caffeine-free alternatives, as well as a selection of snacks and sweet treats. It’s worth noting that the space fully embraces the “community” concept and is adjacent to the Sporty & Rich Studio, a space dedicated to fitness—particularly Pilates and yoga classes.
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