Mmm. That morning coffee smell nice? Like warm, dark life juice? Have you started getting geeky about your coffees with Hario V60s pour-overs and cold brews? No? Well, it’s time. Yes? Well, today’s a good news day. Copa Vida—one of Pasadena’s top hangouts for coffee-and-tea nerds—is opening in the Diamond View Tower in East Village. The original opened in 2013 under owner Steve Chang, coffee czars Frank La and Sam Hong (ex of Café Dulce), plus tea specialist Do Kim. Their Pasadena outpost is a spacious, beautiful, modern space. Assuming the business model is the same, they’ll have three coffee bars in the space. First is a “Go” honor bar, where late-for-workers can get coffee on a Fetco or cold brew on tap for iced coffee—and pay on “their honor” to a basket so they don’t have to wait in line. They’ll also have an “Enjoy” barista bar with all sorts of fancy machines for tea and coffee. And then the “Experience” slow bar where they might do a full Tung Ting tea service or teach a class about the intricacies of the coffee arts. Their chef Erick Lee bakes bread daily from his own starter and serves a lunch menu with a croque madame (ham, caramelized onions, tomato, gruyere cheese, egg, béarnaise), various sandwiches (roasted veggie, smoked turkey melt) and salads (faro, kale, spinach). They’re currently hiring for the SD location. Resumes go to [email protected].
INCOMING: Copa Vida
