Inside the new Laidrey coffee shop in Encino, California. Photo by Cara Harman, courtesy of Laidrey.
California-based coffee roaster and retailer Laidrey has expanded eastward from its original location in the San Fernando Valley, opening a second shop in Encino.
Like the original location in Tarzana, where roasting takes place, the new shop focuses on high-quality and freshly roasted coffees sourced from all over the world for a devoted local audience.
Laidrey Co-Owner Gacia Tachejian, who went to high school in Encino, said it’s the commitment to being a truly local business that has helped drive the relatively young brand’s popularity, even as it expands farther afield through wholesale accounts and online subscriptions.
A new coffee-themed mural in Encino. Photo by Cara Harman, courtesy of Laidrey.
“You want it to be local, you want it to be yours [and] you want it to be convenient,” Tachejian said of guests’ loyalties to their favorite coffee spots.
The Encino shop came serendipitously through local connections. A regular of the Tarzana shop — an art teacher and entrepreneur — approached the Laidrey owners with an opportunity to purchase her retail space in Encino.
“I took a look at the place and I knew it was gonna do so well,” Tachejian said. “A corner space, lots of windows, just like my Tarzana location.”
The timing worked perfectly, as Tachejian had just applied for a grant with Regarding Her, a nonprofit that supports women in food and beverage businesses.
The new Encino shop recalls some of the design elements established at the flagship location, with burlap coffee bags framed on the walls, and gold-and-black pendant lights that nod to the matte black and blingy gold trim of the company’s Probat P5 roasting machine.
Photo by Cara Harman, courtesy of Laidrey.
The Laidrey coffee program continues to focus exclusively on traceable, single-origin coffees — through importers such as Sustainable Harvest or Covoya Specialty Coffee — with a particular emphasis on sourcing from women-led farms or farms that address equal opportunities for women.
The menu at each of the shops features different seasonal signature drinks, as well as selections of fresh pastries, savory toasts and other lighter bites.
Laidrey’s coffee subscription program has made Bon Appetit’s national list of best coffee subscriptions in each of the past two years. While that channel will continue to be a focus for the roasting business, the possibility of new Laidrey cafes is not out of the question, Tachejian said.
“I love the community sense of it — getting to know your neighbors through coffee shops,” she said.
Photo by Cara Harman, courtesy of Laidrey.
Laidrey Coffee Roasters Encino is located at 17034 Ventura Boulevard in Encino. Tell DCN’s editors about your new coffee shop or roastery here.
Libby Allnatt
Libby Allnatt is a writer with a passion for trying new coffee shops. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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