Verve Coffee Roasters: Brews Up A New Drink Menu For Arts District
The heat of the summer is no match for Downtown LA’s coffee nerds and their loyalty to their coffee shops. It is the fuel that keeps city folks going while we endure high temperatures and our rooftop-themed weekends. Coffee is a must before you start the day before you end the day, and anywhere in between- as long as you can support your local shop, right? Verve Roasters knows a thing or two about loyal customers, thanks to the vibe at their 8th & Spring location, great cups of joe, juices, and pastries galore.
A unique concept nestled in the Fashion District, Verve Roasters have now made their way to the Arts District and if you thought Verve couldn’t possibly do more- you’d be wrong. Head over to their new 500 Mateo address and get a load of the front-and-back menu offering breakfast dishes from sweet to savory, coffee in shapes and forms; smoothies, bowls, lunch, and... coffee mocktails.
The two-floor cafe welcomes you in with a design so symmetric, from the floor to the furniture arrangement, that’ll make your OCD tickle. There’s the familiar Verve counter with their pastries, booths, a whole section for merch, a learning station on the first floor, an observatory deck on the second floor, and a gigantic coffee roasting mean machine guarded behind some glass that only looks like it’s a transformer but is actually as quiet as a tesla.
Somewhere in the back of this enormous cafe, that more or less resembles a cool co-working space, they fit a kitchen where sous chef Josh operates with all the bells and whistles. It’s LA so worry not gluten-free, lactose intolerant, vegan, vegetarian people- there’s plenty for you and it is all so delicious you carnivores won’t be able to resist.
Curious minds will head upstairs to oversee the whole ops of Verve, and they’re operating at a much higher volume here than any of their other LA locations. They’ve set up a learning station by the stairs to teach baristas in training all there is to know about the coffee game, and upstairs a more Food Network-Like room has a second station for their team to get creative, and it houses their offices.
Josh, the beverage director, for the coffee mocktails explained, “Lots of fruits like citrus have been known to blend well as tinctures with the bold flavors of coffee. When I saw it in competitions I knew this was something unique I wanted to incorporate to our new menu in the hopes that it takes off. It’s super fun to experiment with.” And let me tell you this is a whole new way to get caffeinated. Josh has chemically worked out the kinks to make a Negroni without the booze and added cascara vermouth, Verve’s very own juniper tonic, and he did it all without sacrificing the traditional flavors of the classic cocktail. The craft bar may be the smaller seating section of the whole joint but it is definitely where all the action is.
When a familiar concept as simple as coffee and as special as Verve, can grow and expand within the DTLA community- it is truly something special. The Arts District may be on the front line of a whole new trend ladies and gents, and it’s starting at Verve.
vervecoffee.com | 500 Mateo St Unit 102, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Written by Mariana Ramos | Photography by Rebekah Lemire
