Tag Archive for: new business

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“Taza” cafe to squeeze in Sunset Boulevard storefront

Today is National Coffee Day, so we’re happy to report we’ve got a new little cafe being added to our Echo Park places to grab your cup of jo.

According to a single, small sign posted, “Taza Café de Echo Park” is coming soon to a small 200 square foot storefront located at 1825 West Sunset Boulevard – across the street from The Echo near the Sunset Blvd/Glendale Bridge. The last shop to open up at his location was the Blood is the New Black popup shop, which temporarily opened last year. No dates are posted about when things are expected to get going, but we’ll keep an eye out for what the new shop will have to offer.

Taza joins the ranks of quite a few coffee shops and cafés nearby, including Stories, Downbeat Café, Masa, Pazzo Gelato, amongst others. But we always look forward to seeing what and if this new place has something different to offer!

Notice anything new to the ‘hood? Let us know!

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7-eleven proposed for Glendale Blvd strip mall


A 2,000 square foot 7-eleven store is expected to go in to the small shopping mall at 1550 N. Glendale Boulevard, at the corner of Berkeley Ave. Last week we noticed a sort-of kiosk being removed from the parking lot (we think the tree is gone as well), making a little more room for parking at the quick mart. Plans for the new mart indicate it might be taking over both the old cash-checking and dog grooming retail spots, but I haven’t confirmed the details one hundred percent.

The store will be open 24 hours and will serve beer and wine. The mart joins an AM/PM across the street, and another 7-eleven on the West border of Echo Park on Sunset Blvd., amongst others.

Representatives will be present at the next Echo Park Improvement Association meeting to discuss details of the plans, starting 7:00 pm on Thursday, March 3. Everyone can attend these meetings, and they are located in Williams Hall at Barlow Hospital at 2000 Stadium Way. We’ll learn more about expected traffic impacts and opening timelines at this meeting.

1550 N. Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90026.
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New Music Academy opens up in Echo Park

The Lunaria Music Academy just opened up last week at 1803 W Sunset Blvd. (right above Xoia), offering private lessons in a variety of instruments for students of all ages and levels.

Owners Rebecca Carr and Carol Warren also offer group classes, including guitar for beginners and “piano for fun!”

One Echo Park resident has already had a chance to check it out, and wrote a small review on the Echo Elysian Neighborhood Council Forum recently: “I just took a piano class there, they just opened in the same building above Xoia and it is run by Tony Wang, the dentist’s wife. You should check it out. I liked my teacher Rebecca Carr. They will be doing all sorts of classes private and group.”

Give them a call at 213-989-1889. Click here to download the full schedule and pricing.

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New restaurant Red Hill in Echo Park making headway

We got the heads up about this new restaurant back in November when we spoke to Echo Park resident Jason Michaud (owner of Local in Silver Lake) about newly opened vintage store Tosen in Echo Park. But the details hadn’t been quite set in stone yet as he had been negotiating with property owner Walgreens for quite some time on opening up in that space. Now, they are still working on the details for the menu and specific ideas, but construction is moving forward on the old Phoenix Bakery at Echo Park Avenue and Montana (across from AYC) for the much-anticipated new restaurant they are calling Red Hill.

For those who aren’t familiar with Echo Park/Elysian Height history, the older parts of Echo Park like Elysian Heights was where artists, radicals, socialists and free-thinkers of all sorts found safety and seclusion. Communists joined them in the 1920s during the first Red Scare (a lot came from Boyle Heights), earning Echo Park the nickname of Red Hill (also “Red Gulch”). This is where the new restaurant’s name comes from.

Mario Orellana, formerly Lazy Ox Canteen sous chef, has teamed up with Jason to open up Red Hill. They are keeping very, very busy with another restaurant opening in downtown near Grand Central Market call Chimu – slated to open mid-February, it’s a Peruvian takeout restaurant. Red Hill my open as soon as this summer, and will focus on American cuisine.

Red Hill will be open for brunch, lunch and dinner, with a primary focus on dinner. They are also “looking forward to making a great lunch spot for the locals,” said Mario, and hope to serve beer and wine.

The Phoenix Bakery building has been collecting dust for quite some time (probably because Walgreens has always wanted to have a drive-through put in), so it’s a welcoming sight to see it getting fixed up. One thing that also needs to be worked out: Neighboring restaurant Allston Yacht Club uses valet and parks patron cars in that parking lot.

We are looking forward to trying out Red Hill when it opens this summer!

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New vintage store takes over the Millenium thrift store



Tucked in an old brick building across the street from the AM/PM is newly established vintage store “TИSEN”, a Danish word that essentially translates into “rocker.” The blue neon sign that decorates the front of the store is eye-catching and one I like (it surprisingly doesn’t clash with neighboring old-school signs for Lolita Hair Salon and Han’s Repair next door).

$20,000 19th century Chinese bed

For 15 years, 2118 Berkeley Avenue was occupied by Millenium Thrift Shop, a treasure trove of antique items you had to dig through, or bring in a lamp for an inexpensive repair. We found new owner Jason in the shop gearing up for the store’s opening. Immediately upon entering the store are cute women’s clothes, shoes and, my favorite, sparkly things (jewelry!). There are furniture items, children’s clothes, and some great-looking antique items. In the back of the store, Jason is putting together a vinyl records room to keep the boys occupied while their girlfriends rummage for clothes.

Prices range from the $1.00 record bin to $15 clothes to a $20,000 hand-carved rosewood Chinese bed – probably the coolest thing in the store because it is so out of my reach. Jason’s wife Cindy is the one behind all the clothing finds, and I have to say her selections are great for the neighborhood.

Jason and Cindy are Echo Park residents, and actually own Silver Lake restaurant Local. We look forward to seeing Jason and Cindy around the ‘hood!

TИSEN’s grand opening is the weekend of December 4th – you can also get 25% off if you mention this article!

TИSEN is located at 2118 Berkeley Avenue.

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The Warehouse grand opening party Friday

Just a few months ago, owner Justin Warwick closed down his vintage store, Warwick, on Sunset Blvd. near the Short Stop. He took on a huge project remodeling and fixing up a warehouse space farther down the road, and is now ready to show off his hard work with a grand opening party on Friday, October 15.

Free Booze, piñatas on the patio, local DJs, DIY Class demos, sales! (15% off if you say the magic word, Seahorse), unique restyled vintage, dart painting, and much more…

Friday, October 15
8:00 pm-Midnight
1197 W. Sunset Boulevard (@ Marion)

Click here for the Warehouse Facebook page.

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Sunset Beer opening in Echo Park

Good news! Echo Park is getting a new beer store early next year! John Nugent and wife Jennifer, along with partners Jenna Miller-Vonah and Andrew Vonah (also investors in Eagle Rock Brewery) are opening up Sunset Beer Company in Echo Park, which will stock bottled beer for sale, as will as sport a tasting room as well (pending a liquor license approval).

The new space is located in a mini-mall along the 1400 block of Sunset Blvd, taking over the approximation 2,000 square foot ladies gym space next to Beauty Box. Nugent told us to expect everything from Unibroue Blanche de Chambly (a Belgian-style white ale from Canada) for $2.50, all the way to the fancy schmancy (and $22 a bottle) Russian River Consecration for those special occasions.

“California craft brews and Belgians are covered really well in Los Angeles and beyond,” said Nugent,” but we feel there is a gap in the market to carry obscure beers from all over the United States. The amount of new, upstart breweries from the Midwest and Southeast alone popping up at craft beer festivals is hard to keep up with. That’s exciting to us.”

So why did they choose Echo Park? Nugent and his wife have always wanted to open another wine or similar store in Echo Park – they have many friends in the neighborhood, and they couldn’t pass up the chance at this location. They plan having the “best” craft beer selection in Los Angeles, not necessarily the largest, because “our priority is quality over quantity.” They also want to make sure a majority of that beer is available in the cold coolers, so it will be ready to go.

An article on The Eastsider LA sparked some debate between some residents about introducing another alcohol establishment to Echo Park (arguments similar to those made against Tony Yanow’s new bar/restaurant at the old El Camino theater) – arguing that the establishment will increase those “rowdy drunks” in the neighborhood. Nugent responded to some of the comments, saying: “I will say that after almost six years of selling wine/beer/sake to-go and in-house in Eagle Rock from our wine store, Colorado Wine Company, we have never had an issue with our neighbors regarding excess noise or rowdy drunks.”

Nugent and partners plan on attending community meetings like the neighborhood council soon, so feel free to share your support (or opposition) by attending one of these meetings and get to know the people behind the concept.

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Long-awaited Cookbook grocery opens in Echo Park

Cookbook, the grocery store spearheaded by our fellow Echo Park residents, opened its doors for the first time yesterday. Located along the same block of Chicken Corner and next to Mishka, the small shop is offering residents a daily selection of organic and locally grown fruits and veggies, dairy, and prepared foods that will put Whole Foods to shame.

You’ll find owners Marta Teegan, a chef, master gardener and owner of Homegrown, and Robert Stelzner behind the counter to answer your questions and ring up your goodies. Martha told us earlier this summer about what to expect behind the doors at Cookbook: “Not only will we offer delicious ingredients to cook with, but we will also have a great selection of cookbooks to choose from, along with a beautiful selection of fresh cut flowers each day… Organic herb and vegetable starts will be available each spring and fall. We will further offer a variety of events at cookbook, including classes, readings, and tastings throughout the year.”

While the cooking classes are still on the table, they aren’t offering those just yet. But we’ll let you know as soon as they do!

Farmers’ market veggies (sustainably grown and local) and fruit like hericot verts, carrots, herbs, incredible-looking heirloom tomatoes, avocados, melons and other fruit. From the gourmet pantry: Honey from California bees, teas, organic sugars, Fermin Jamon Iberico, Sightglass Coffee (from San Francisco), Cafe Fanny granola, Rustic Bakery sweets, Morning Glory Confections’ artisan brittles, and more!

In the freezer you’ll find Dr. Bob’s ice cream in a variety of flavors, along with a selection of Heirloom LA lasagnas, pasta sauces, and other fresh pastas. They looked really, really delicious – but I have to admit a little bit of sticker shock, though probably totally worth it!

It will be great to grab some free-range eggs (from Mill Road Orchard in Paso Robles) for those days I’ve skipped the Farmers’ Market, along with a really great selection of cheese that will make your mouth water.

In addition to some fresh breads behind the counter (get your fresh baguettes before they all get snatched!), they offer prepared foods by Heirloom LA to take home on those days you just don’t want to cook. When I arrived late yesterday, they had a limited selection after the day’s sales (it’s probably best to go earlier, but don’t let it stop you if you get off work late), but everything was mouth-watering. Among other dishes, I was eying the grilled corn, roasted asparagus and potatoes, and pints of tomato soup. I took home some roasted asparagus and a delicious grilled flatbread with eggplant, tomato and parmesan cheese for under $10!

Cookbook is open daily from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm, and is located at 1549 Echo Park Avenue

Related articles:

  1. “Echo Park’s New Greengrocer: Cookbook.” Reservation for Three, August 30, 2010
  2. “Cookbook opens a new chapter in Echo Park food shopping.” Eastsider LA, August 21, 2010.
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Newest Echo Park Business – Montana Cans

It took me a while, but I finally figured out who’s moving into 1528 1/2 W. Sunset Blvd after finding this post on the Eastsider LA. The newest addition to Echo Park’s businesses will be Montana LA, a boutique spray paint store. The brand Montana has been around for a while (at least ten years)* and offers high end spray cans as well as markers, black and sketchbooks and apparel. As well as selling products, the company also sponsors artists, projects, events and does charity work. The store should be opening soon as its website announces that it will open in early 2010.

*Montana Cans (or German Montana) is not to be confused with Montana Colors (or Spanish Montana). The two companies seem to have a long and sordid history. See this PDF.

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