Inspiring Conversations with Gacia Tachejian of Laidrey Coffee Roasters

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gacia Tachejian.

Hi Gacia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Laidrey Coffee Owner Gacia Tachejian’s coffee interest began by accident. She was studying at
Columbia University in New York City for a Masters in Social Work, and became fascinated by
the boutique roasters serving delicious cups on cold mornings. Soon enough, she was back in
her native California working in behavioral research at UCLA, where she found herself missing
the coffee she’d previously encountered. Ultimately, she became disillusioned by the lack of
quality coffee available on her daily commute. Deciding to take matters into her own hands,
Gacia bought a small, 1lb Behmor Roaster and began experimenting with roasting in her garage.
What originally started as a way to indulge in quality coffee turned into a slight obsession and,
ultimately, a true passion! Gacia started sharing her coffee with family and friends, all of whom
had nothing but great feedback and excitement for the flavor profiles. With encouragement
from a dear mentor and boss turned business partner, Marisa Briones, she decided to bring
Laidrey Roasters to life.
Gacia was able to open Laidrey in January of 2022 in her near-and-dear hometown of Tarzana
in the San Fernando Valley, just steps away from places where she had seminal experiences as a
child. Through her initial coffee cart which opened in June 2021, local residents experienced the
quality, aromatics, and taste that set her coffee apart from typical shops in the area. Laidrey expanded to open its second location in Encino in July of 2023. As owner and roaster, Gacia pays special attention to sourcing quality, making sure to purchase premium, ethically grown and cultivated beans from some of the most renowned coffee regions in the world.
Driven by love for her community, Gacia got to know the community of Agoura Hills since her son goes to school in the area. She loved the neighborly feel of the community, yet it lacked a place for people to gather for specialty coffee and that’s how the 3rd location was born. This time, Gacia fulfilled her dream of opening up a coffee shop that felt like a kitchen island. A place where family gathers to talk about their day, cook together and feel at home. With Tarzana and Encino, Gacia listened to her guests in what they wanted outside of great coffee. Coming out of the pandemic, our guests were craving a space they can call their own, a space they can feel community and gather with their loved ones. With that, we increased our seating in our Tarzana and Encino locations and made sure when we built out our Agoura location, that it felt like home.
When she’s not roasting to her heart’s content, Gacia can be found spending time with her
family, enjoying outdoor adventures with her husband and son as well as making her daily cortado.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a business is not for the faint of heart. I have learned to listen, take action, to change operational models to create better efficiencies, I have learned to cultivate a team that is aligned with our goals and what we want to offer our guests. I live and breathe Laidrey, even when I am sleeping, I am dreaming of ways in which to better our business.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Laidrey Coffee Roasters?
We are a woman owned and operated specialty coffee roastery in the San Fernando Valley with 3 coffee shops. Our coffee is ethically sourced, meticulously roasted, and freshly brewed. We micro-batch our roasts so that we have more quality control over each bean that is roasted. We source from female owned or female run farms. Our coffee is organic, mold-free, mycotoxin free. In our cafes, we offer syrups that are made in house with the freshest ingredients. Our drinks are carefully crafted with manual machines. We offer food in our cafes that are carefully curated and sourced from James Beard award winning chefs from Larder. We also offer gluten free and vegan pastries from Chaumont. We make made-to-order food items that are all crafted in-house. Our shops offer plenty of seating, unlimited wifi, and outlets. We care about our guests and go out of our way to make their day. Whether it’s having doggy treats for their pets, or remembering their favorite drink, and even supporting their small business by selling their hand crafted products! We are a place that community calls home.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We like to support other small businesses that sell retail products like dry snacks, ceramics, addiitions to coffee drinks such as adaptogens, collagen etc.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laidrey.com
• Instagram: LaidreyCoffeeRoasters
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Laidrey/