Today we’d like to introduce you to Winston Secrest.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Winston. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Our cafe is a sister company to Huntington Catering which also resides at the same address. This aspect really gives our cafe a co-op type feel as there are always meeting, tasting, cooking and office banter within our walls. Lost Parrot Cafe was created by Justin Prietto (owner of Huntington Catering) and Winston Secrest (owner of Steamboat Coffee LA) old surfing buddies that saw an opportunity in the four corners of South Pasadena, El Sereno, San Marino, and Alhambra.
Lost Parrot is named after the little green Central American parrots that have made the San Gabriel Valley their home. Many myths and folklore surround the origin of these squawking birds, but there is no real definitive information on how they came to be in this region. Why they stay year-round is really a unique part of their story, especially in the 20 block radius surrounding our cafe.
South Pasadena was one of the first Arbor Cities on the west coast, and since the Pasadena area grew up at the same time as Los Angeles, a large majority of our foulage has been growing for over a hundred years. This has given our little green friends all the roosting space and berries they will ever need. Lost Parrot Cafe celebrates this Arbor theme with a space outfitted with a high percentage of greenery on every shelf, ledge, pretty much anywhere a pot will sit.
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?
The last nine months have been amazing. Located in the old location of The Cookshack, the neighborhood has been missing a place to walk to on this side of town. Our Roaster and friend Chuck Jones from Jones Coffee has been an intricate piece in getting this bird off the ground as well.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lost Parrot Cafe – what should we know?
The cafe brings a warm atmosphere to a world of third-wave minimalist, stark white coffee shops that have been popping up all over in the last seven years. We are not a turn-and-burn type of cafe. One of the biggest complements Lost Parrot receives from its patrons is how space reminds them of something they’ve visited in Seattle in the 90’s or central America at any point.
We’ve become a mini day-long staycation. We specialize in really amazing drip that is second to pour over only. We rebrew every 30 min. and our air-pots only hold about four large coffees so we basically small batch our drip for accuracy as well as having a three-stage drip process for the full blooming of each basket. Our California Turmeric Latte is a unique latte and our most popular special at the cafe.
Turmeric, Dehydrated Coconut, and powdered Sea Algae counters the negative effects of espresso. It rehydrates, counters inflammation and burns slower in your system all while tasting delicious. We are without wifi, and this is why; we are a cafe full of plants, books, and really great espresso.
We’d like our patrons to stop in and have a chat with a friend and/or stranger, sit and read, or play a board game. We have plenty of folks who sit and conduct business for hours at the cafe, and we love them as well. They just know to bring their own hotspot as they are professional adults. 🙂
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Product comes first. Our machinery, systems, ingredients, bean, etc. our are number 1. A close second is the environment in which our patrons engage and experience. Our goal has been to create a space that is non-pretentious: a place that feels comfy and familiar.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1929 Huntington Drive South Pasadena CA 91030
- Website: LostParrotCafe.com
- Phone: (323) 886-0703
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @lostparrotcafe
- Facebook: Lost Parrot Cafe
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lost-parrot-cafe-south-pasadena-4?osq=lost+parrot+cafe
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