Creature’s Plants & Coffee Offers Multiple Comforts in LA

At the new Creature’s Plants & Coffee in Los Angeles. All images courtesy of Creature’s Plants & Coffee.

A hybrid plant nursery and coffee shop named Creature’s Plants & Coffee opened in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles last fall, creating connections between plants, people and coffee. 

Founder Hope Creature worked with multiple architects — Ann-Sofi Holst of Dunsmuir Institute Architects and Alex Ellien of fullBRANCH — to realize their vision: a warm, welcoming and vast space with tons of seating, bright red accents and a seamless merger of the outdoors with the inside.

“There’s not a lot of spaces in this neighborhood where it’s just a big, expansive outdoor scene,” said Creature. “So, for me, [it’s about] having the space to really accommodate big groups of people, lots of people at a time, you know, just having space where people can come and be.”

The small coffee shop at the heart of the space offers a wide selection of fresh pastries from a local provider, with gluten-free and vegan options, as well as food items from a grab-and-go fridge. 

Coffees supplying the batch brew and espresso-based drink menu come through a relationship with L.A.-based wholesale and consumer subscription roaster Unity. Mazzer and HeyCafe grinders support a La Marzocco Linea Classic AV espresso machine and Fetco batch brewer, while a Marco Ecoboiler supplies hot water for teas and other beverages. 

The plant program also relies on local sourcing from suppliers within a relatively short drive. Creature said the vast majority of plants at the shop are drought-tolerant and native to California. The shop also showcases tropical houseplants, as well as certified organic edible herbs. Hope Creature said a goal of the plant shop is to offer a little “something for everyone.”

Growing up in North Carolina, Creature initially moved west to pursue a BFA degree. In Los Angeles, they found work in arts galleries and at a cacti nursery.

“I completely fell in love with it and totally switched what I wanted to do in my 20s,” Creature said. “My friend at the time who worked there was just finishing up the UCLA extension program for their horticulture certificate. They were like, ‘if you want to learn more, you should totally do this. You can do it at night while you’re working full time.’”

Creature entered the program and dove into the newfound passion for horticulture, while also picking up some barista experience along the way. 

Hope Creature.

At Creature’s Plants & Coffee, these two main elements provide a backdrop for other artistic, culinary and cultural events, like live music performance, clothing swaps, workshops and popup sales. 

“We have tons of programming because the space is so big. We do a lot of free events for the public,” said Creature. “We have a lot of pop up vendors, highlighting our local makers and artists.”

Creature’s Plants & Coffee, is located at 4958 N. Eagle Rock Boulevard in Los Angeles. Tell DCN’s editors about your new coffee shop or roastery here. For all the latest specialty coffee news, subscribe to the DCN newsletter. 

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