coffee+food Opening on Melrose at Larchmont Boulevard

The Larchmont Village coffee scene is about to get really adventurous with the opening of the new foodie venue coffee+food. Co-owners Cyndi Finkle and Mel Cain have created a place where they can share their passion for coffee and food, while fueling an atmosphere that is both original and welcoming.

Finkle, the owner of craft services vendor Sunday Night Dinner  is also the owner of ArtWorks Studio on the south east corner of Larchmont and Melrose. Cain, a native of Australia,  married Finkle’s husbands’ best friend and lived with him in Australia for a number of years working in book publishing and PR. Eventually, Cain and her husband moved to LA and Cain put her art degree to work as an instructor at ArtWorks Studio. As you might expect, these small business owners are putting every bit of their past experience into coffee+food.

Finkle explained that she has always wanted to have a cafe adjacent to her ArtWorks Studio…it’s a business idea she has considered for years and a natural extension of her craft services business. One day in early 2011 she verbalized that she was ready to act on that dream…and about two weeks later the space around the corner opened up. For Finkle and Cain, it was a sign to pursue the dream.

The business partners have completely renovated the space that was formerly Wild Oats…a space that many of us will remember as tight and cluttered. Their renovation really makes the most of the property – creating a bright, open, inviting place that visitors are likely to go out of their way to make a part of their coffee, plus food routine.

Cain shared that much of their execution will be influenced by the foodie culture that exists in Australia and the movement to produce high-quality coffee (known as Third Wave Coffee). Coffee+food has developed its own high-quality blend – influenced by Cain’s Australian favorite. It’s a clean, non-bitter tasting brew from Down Under. And the coffee+food baristas will be trained by award-winning, competitive barista Mark Baird (of Longshot Coffee), an Australian, a friend and a fan of what this pair is building.

And what about the food? Coffee+food is  focusing on convenient gourmet. The salads and sandwiches are all made from gourmet ingredients with produce from local farmers. Finkle noted that they recently participated in The Taste at Paramount Studios and their Kale Salad was celebrated as one of the best foods at the event. Much like a bodega, everything is pre-wrapped and convenient for people on the go. Coffee+food has the potential to redefine fast food in the area.

Finkle and Cain are joined by Executive Pastry Chef Diana Sproveri, best known for her designer baked goods and Lollibakes® gourmet cake pops. The sweets will be exceptional! Customers can expect a unique menu of baked goods including an orange-zested cut out cookie recipe that was Sproveri’s grandmother’s. The cupcake menu is also unique with flavors like Chocolate Raspberry soaked in raspberry coulis and Lemon and Lavender with a lemon curd filling. All made with fresh ingredients.

Discovery is what it’s all about at coffee+food…they want their customers to feel comfortable getting to know their offerings. They aim to bring people together for amazing coffee, great food and wonderful conversation. So, with that said – you are invited to stop by as coffee+food opens on Monday, September 24th on the increasingly interesting corner of Melrose at Larchmont.