Life & Work with Thomas Hardy of Los Angeles / OC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Hardy.

Hi Thomas, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We started as a small family Coffee Shop (Ma, Pa, and kiddo) based around our love for coffee and fast music with a breakfast accompaniment aka Kids on Coffee. This included Hypnotic Vegan Pizza at nights. Little did we know how fast our carry out, 500 square foot adventure would grow. The timing was stupendous – our lease was up (A horror story) and a shop across the street was for sale with seating.

We grabbed the opportunity and continued new as Jug Band Coffee and Tea. Few and far between have asked the meaning and “why’s” of the Jug Band name. So a brief history – Jug Band Music was birthed at the turn of the 20th century (Funny how that keeps getting older as I, too am of the 20th century). With origins on the Mississippi, the artistry of Chicago musicians, blending with Appalachia, and with what later would be coined “The Blues and Jazz”. Music traveling North and South and South to North. It was an amalgamation of races, religious and bawdy storytelling, ragtime, vaudeville…but the kick was particularly the instruments: From Kazoos, violins, guitars and banjos, to washboards, tubs and well…jugs. Found instruments, found people sharing music and song- the freedom to move with stories to tell. This all baked together around a jug…providing melody and the low end. We celebrate the music, the musician and symbolism at our location. And our location means as much as the name. These are blocks of freedom. We are purposefully located in the LGBTQ+ district and community. My life belief in humanity. It’s literally part of our name- togetherness and acceptance. It’s more heavy in my mind that can really be explained.

We specialize in Sourdough Bagels. We use whole wheat 00 flour, sourdough and boil in barley malt. We purposefully do it old world ambient style/traditional – and every day is a rodeo. We are supported by and love our Joshua Tree Coffee and primarily use Holy Kakow organic syrups and scratch doughs and sauces for our pizzas.

We support our local musicians (And distant musicians). We have been branded many different things by many different people, but we love the families and being a neighborhood coffee shop. It’s really what we want to be – just a corner shop. Coming from the musical coffee shops of Seattle and Portland of my youth, I simply want people to have that same feeling – to try their first open mic, to try to play the piano, or enjoy others. To see world class Jazz musicians in a small venue…to join a Bluegrass circle with beginners and pros alike and to have musicians I loved as a kid to play our shop. It’s all happening and a new generation is coming up with what I felt were gifts given when I grew up. There’s already a heart beating on the corner.

As a small family business there are definitely highs and lows…and that’s a book. We’ve simply tried and failed to update our menu for 1.5 years. But we do know what and who we are. We’re not striving to outdo our neighbors. Heck we’re still every other coffee shop’s best friend even if they don’t know it. We don’t strive to have a high profile presence, to say “We’re the best” (though we know our bagels). We simply love our corner and feeding people with food and music! You’ll certainly know us by our Dave Van Patten mural.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles were mentioned before. Food Costs are tremendously hard to deal with…we haven’t raised our prices in 5 years. While we want to support the neighborhood, the hand is being forced. Turnover is hard on a small shop when there’s 4 people total- and next thing you know there are 12 or more…it’s also a forced hand. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s hard. The origin stories of landlords, permitting, neighbors and theft all exist…but it’s not a dwelling point in our story. The past needs to live there, be learned from and understand how to pivot for the future. It’s all documented, but every day is a fast moving river. You simply can’t be mired in what happened yesterday as there’s enough happening for all of us now…and there’s always tomorrow until there’s not. Then you can be a rock…an Iwakura rock.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In High School I said I wanted a musical coffee shop. This coming up from being a little 80’s skate punk in Poway (Yes I was neighbors and friends with Blink, until a sudden move to Portland (pre, current and post grunge time). A coming of age time surrounded by Coffee Shops where Elliot Smith, Pete Krebs, and the X-Ray Cafe was happing. Look at YouTube for that story. I also learned to play, write and became part of bands- expressing myself.

This gusto being diverted by a career in Global Shipping, which I continue to this day. 32 years of truthful dedication. That being said, we are a family shop and having my wife handle day to day management and daughter working herself into being a skilled barista and Customer Service pro- she’s also, very often the clear voice of reason. This family tightness is what holds it together- it’s always just the 3 of us.

What to be most proud of? The fact that we are open and have operated as a family for 5 years (3 years in November as Jug Band).

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I can’t define success. My overall humanistic ideal just sees us all doing our best. We really are just doing our best. We all have struggles and we all have triumphs big and small. While being a day to day person and trying to never go to bed mad, I welcome the pitfalls and mountains alike each day…and know we’re all doing so. There’s always something more to do (In my head). My family knows that about me. I can sit still in the dark…with or without a guitar or be in Bangkok giving speeches to observant ears. I’m kind of always walking on the moon as I say – not aloof but storytelling. Success to me personally is in trying to bring others a level of comfort and happiness and an honest heart when I ask how you are…I know I may fall flat and I know I may hear the ugliness of an honest answer, but that’s also the part of me…and many know it in the shop.

Pricing:

• Low
• Lower
• Need
• Higher
• Feel Bad

Contact Info:

• Website: No
• Instagram: @jugbandcoffeeandtea
• Facebook: No. Maybe from Insta?
• LinkedIn: No
• Twitter: No
• Youtube: No
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jug-band-coffee-and-tea-long-beach-2
• Soundcloud: https://open.spotify.com/user/1210118950
• Other: No