Civil Coffee Kindly Opens in L.A.’s Highland Park

After a brief soft opening, Civil Coffee has officially announced its much-anticipated presence in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

At 5629 N Figueroa Street, Civil is tucked into a historic building in the rapidly developing neighborhood, adding a touch of classic café civility near the vintage Highland Hotel, the Highland Theatre and across the street from Revival Tattoo.

Civil is the brainchild of Handsome Coffee Roasters alumni Alex and Alan Morales, who brought on Handsome Co-Founder Tyler Wells as a consulting partner for the brick-and-mortar venture. The brothers had operated a mobile cart under the Civil name since leaving Handsome three years ago. The Handsome brand itself dissolved after the roasting and retail company was absorbed by Blue Bottle last year.

While capturing photos of the shop’s grand opening, Daily Coffee News contributor Amparo Rios noted an abundance of intricate design touches that have resulted in a contemporary urban feel with some old-world charm within the broad-windowed, high-ceilinged space — including a colorful tile floor, custom lighting and paneling, a walnut bar and a marble wall behind the bar.

Civil puts forth a straightforward coffee drink menu, including filter drip coffee; cold brew; “espresso + milk” drinks in 4-, 6- or 12-ounces; and a small selection of rotating espresso drinks with additions such as sweet chocolate ganache. The menu stresses the availability of two espressos, even offering a side-by-side demitasse of each called the “Tandem.”

The brothers Morales launched with wholesale partners Coava Coffee and Heart Roasters — both based in Portland — providing the coffees.

Here’s more from the grand opening (all photos by Amparo Rios for Daily Coffee News):