Today we’d like to introduce you to Irene Chen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Irene. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Prior to moving back to L.A, my family and I were living overseas in Asia for the last 12 years. When we moved back 5 years ago, we discovered Altadena. We love its community & artistic feel. Not only does it conveniently neighbor areas of great food, but its “small town” feel was very appealing.
Coffee Gallery, has been a staple of this community for many years. It coexists with the Backstage business, a separate entity, that has for years provided great live acoustic entertainment. I was fortunate to come upon this place. I knew that my vision could be conceived here. As a homemaker for years and mother of 3, there comes a time when you think of “branching out” and accomplishing something for yourself. I envisioned a place that offered great food and coffee, with an eclectic, west side vibe, but in a community setting. That is how the new Coffee Gallery came about.
Great, 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?
There were many obstacles and challenges when I took over the business. First off, it’s my first business. Though, I was taking over an existing business, I needed to learn the operations first. How could I implement the changeover, while maintaining the loyal customers? I ran the business as is for the first 3 months, just cleaning house. Looking back, it was the best thing I could have done. During this period, I was able to understand my customer base, and share with them my visions. It was great to get feedback’s and do it slowly. We did close sporadically for the larger renovations. But, the customers were always supportive. It’s all about communication in the long run.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Coffee Gallery – what should we know?
I’m most proud of being able to maintain the community feel that Coffee Gallery, has always been known for in the past. But now, we offer better, fresher, more unique items in a cleaner, updated environment. Many times, customers have raved that it’s hip and trendy, without being generic, but still maintaining that coziness of a community café.
My husband and I grew up in the restaurant business, and we traveled extensively experiencing different cuisines. As a “foodie”, it was very important for me to be proud of what I was offering. Whenever possible, I like to source locally and offer better ingredients in our products across the board; coffee, food, pastries, desserts. I don’t think most customers know we make all our made-to-order food fresh, on 2 electric burners, 1 convection oven, and a panini press. We bake our own quiche and Hashbrown casserole, which are VERY popular! We carry Fosselman’s artisanal ice cream, another local established family run business. I make a point of making sure that our shakes are thick and full of yumminess. My kids love them! All our meat is from Boar’s Head, all natural, gluten free, no GMO, or artificial flavorings. Whenever possible, we try to make some items in house; our Caesar dressing, sauces, pesto in sandwiches, Guinness beef chili, Belgian waffle to name a few. Quality and variety is important for me, that’s why I don’t carry an abundance of desserts or pastries, or source from one place. Our pastries are unique in name and taste. We have more than just a butter croissant. We offer French macarons, mini bundt cakes, pies, sticky toffee bars, assorted cookies, and much more. Finding the right coffee roaster was just as important. With all the coffee houses in L.A., I wanted to bring to Altadena, an older, more established roaster, that is known in the coffee world, but not saturated like most.
I chose Counter Culture, as my wholesale partner for coffee. Their philosophy of sustainability, quality and process in making the best cup of Joe, was in direct line with my vision of what coffee should be.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Maintaining community feel, sourcing locally scratch made items. made-to-order food specialty coffee.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2029 N. Lake Ave. Altadena, CA 91001
- Website: www.coffeegallery.la
- Phone: 626-398-7917
- Email: [email protected]
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