(This started as a blog post, then it became clear this was actually a letter to our team. I figured I would share it anyway).
Team, We are getting close. After nearly three years of design, planning, building, and training, our Los Angeles café and West Coast flagship store is finally about to open. Typing that makes me nervous because we’ve felt “close” before—only to encounter another obstacle or unexpected delay. But this time is different. It’s happening.
February 21, 2025—4677 Hollywood Blvd, in the heart of Los Feliz.
Today, I want to reflect on the journey and, most importantly, recognize you—the Kettl team—who have made this a reality. I’ve never been great at documenting things, as I tend to focus on what’s ahead rather than looking back. But the older I get, the more I realize how essential it is to capture these moments. They are part of Kettl’s evolution, and they deserve to be remembered.
Why LA?
Minami in LA in 2019
I’ve been asked this question many times. I’ve also been warned that opening a café in a different time zone—with a small team and a relentless commitment to quality—is a bad idea. “How will you maintain quality?” That’s a fair question. The truth is, we have yet to prove—to ourselves and to anyone else—that we can pull this off.But the reason we’re doing this is simple: there was an opportunity.
It began when our good friends Nick Montgomery and Akira Akuto of Konbi LA were looking to share a space in Los Feliz. They wanted the back half for baking shokupan (Japanese milk bread) and needed someone to take the front. It seemed like the perfect low-risk way to bring Kettl to our second-largest market, so we co-signed the lease and got to work.A year in, Konbi unexpectedly decided to shut down. I had a choice: walk away or fully commit. After some reflection—and with the insight of our new COO (now CEO), Caleb—it became clear. “Take the space completely and make it as you want—Japanese tea deserves your full effort,” he told me. And he was right. Our LA customers deserved the same immersive experience as our New York guests. So, we renegotiated the lease, took over the entire space, and began designing something truly special with our friend and architect, Michael Tower.
The Road to Opening
As you all know, the permitting and buildout were more complex and grueling than we ever expected. Managing the project became a second full-time job for Caleb, and his tenacity kept it alive when it would have been easier—smarter, even—to throw in the towel.
Connor, our Los Feliz manager, moved from NYC to LA in late 2022, thinking the opening was imminent. Instead, he found himself in a waiting game, yet he never wavered in his patience and dedication. To both of them, and to all of you who stuck with us through the long delays, I am incredibly grateful.
The Vision for LA
So why LA? Beyond the opportunity, this city is uniquely positioned to embrace the contemporary tea culture we hope to shape. Angelenos crave new experiences in food and beverage. There’s a deep appreciation for craft, an openness to the unfamiliar, and an undeniable focus on health and wellness. Japanese green tea naturally fits into this landscape.
But LA café culture is different from NYC’s. It’s not a city where you roll out of bed and walk to your corner café in minutes. Here, cafés are destinations. Guests choose to be here, and if they’ve made the effort to drive, the experience must be worth it. Every detail—from the design to the hospitality to the tea itself—has to exceed expectations. That became our guiding principle as we built our Los Feliz space:
if people come once, it should be so special that they return again and again.
And that’s where all of you come in.
A Team Effort
Last week, I had the privilege of training our new LA team alongside our Senior Manager of Retail Operations, Jacob. I was humbled by their passion and eagerness to learn. They arrived prepared—notebooks open, questions ready, absorbing everything with focus and care.
This experience has taught me something invaluable: what began as my vision for LA is now something bigger than me. Through the work of our operations team, Miles and Christopher; our tea specialists and managers in NYC; our leadership team; and our warehouse crew led by Payton, this project has transformed into a true team effort.
The café is no longer just a place to serve tea—it will be a gallery showcasing artisan crafts curated by Minami. It will house a mezzanine dedicated to education, where guests can participate in a class program designed by our GM of Education, Armando Martinez. The selection of teas will reflect the dedication of the growers we work with and the meticulous efforts of our Japan office, lead by Yuki san, which handles sourcing, packing, and logistics. The seated counter will embody the service philosophy shaped by Minami, Connor, and Jacob. And the entirety of our store experience is informed by everyone in our stores -tea specialists and managers both in Greenpoint and on the Bowery who have helped the in-person Kettl come to life over the last 3 years.
This café is a testament to teamwork, and because of that, it is already a success—before a single customer has walked through the door.
Looking Ahead
As we put the finishing touches on the space—furniture arriving from Japan, a large-format print still in production—I’m eagerly anticipating the moment we welcome our first guests.
Los Feliz has already embraced us. We’ve met incredible neighbors, eaten more tacos than we can count, and made Kismet Rotisserie our unofficial second home. We’re excited to be part of this community, and we hope you’ll visit us soon.
To all of you at Kettl—whether you work in service, operations, sourcing, logistics, or education—you are shaping the future of tea culture in America. Your dedication, expertise, and commitment are woven into every detail of this café, and I am so proud to share it with you—and with the world.
Thank you.
Zach
