Caffè may refer to the Italian way of preparing a coffee, an espresso, or occasionally used as a synonym for the European coffee bar. (Wikipedia)
Cafe culture (also called Caffe culture or sometimes coffee culture) has been in existence since people gathered in a place to drink coffee. In 14th century Turkey, it began with a men’s only arena, where people met to relax, drink coffee and talk about society. Coffeehouses in Western Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean were traditionally social hubs, as well as artistic and intellectual centers.
Caffe Luxxe has (many times), been voted the best coffee in Los Angeles, as well as the best coffee house in town;
“the idea is very simple: hand craft the best tasting coffee and feature artisanal products from around the world.”
Founded in 2006 as a family business “with European sensibility”, Mark Wain and Gary Chau (best friends) created Caffe Luxxe.
After graduating from school and much travel and living throughout Europe, both Gary and Mark landed in California with successful corporate jobs. They talked often about missing that European caffé-culture, Italy’s in particular. Their shared passion for it… the artisan approach to coffee preparation, the value of community, and the venue of a place to unwind and meet friends, was the catalyst to prompt them to leave their respective jobs behind and began Caffe Luxxe. Here was a way to bring those experiences and passion to Los Angeles.
“We have always focused on being classic, simple, and elegant, and so we actually haven’t changed that much since we began,” said Gary.
“We aspire that what we serve must also be an amazing experience, so we source and roast our own coffees. Mark is our master roaster and coffee buyer who travels to the farms to hand select many of our coffees and builds sustainable long term relationships with our farmer friends. First and foremost, we have always focused on super-high quality in everything we do,” says Gary. And that approach carries over to imported and artisanal products which they feature in their stores. Including Rossi1931.
Rossi1931 is part of their Home and Lifestyle Collection.
Gary relates, “I have always loved paper and textiles, and always go into every luxury paper and card shop that I find. I also lived in London for nearly 10 years, and along with traveling throughout Europe for most of my life, I always found Rossi in places whenever I was searching for the best papers and stationery.”
“We sell their decorative papers, social stationery, and leather notebooks.
We retail and use their products to create displays.” Obviously Rossi paper creates great displays!
“Rossi is by far one of the best paper companies in the world with an amazing classic representation of what I envision as Italy. When you see and touch their products, you know right away it is made by Italian artisans with their sense of quality and style.”
Caffe Luxxe’s retail shelves are stacked with luxury goods like olive oils, jams, soaps and letter-pressed greeting cards. They sell products alongside coffee that represent a luxurious and comfortable lifestyle.
Opening their own roasting facility in 2012, headed by Mark, they roast in the northern Italian tradition. That means Caffe Luxxe’s beans are heated until rich chocolate and caramel flavors are revealed. IL Laborotorio di Caffe is the official name for Luxxe’s roasting and training facility. Here is where they tirelessly dedicate themselves to the craft and the persistent production of wonderful coffee.
IL Labratorio has a state of the art educational facility equipped with all the tools to help their master roasters and baristas in training achieve excellence. A barista at Caffe Luxxe is trained extensively for upwards of 12 months, to deliver superior quality and always stay true to the classic methods of northern Italy.
Not only sharing a love for coffee and culture, they both share in a love of community. With soon to be 6 stores in the LA area, community spirit and care is fostered with charitable support for the schools and causes of that particular community.
Awards/Accolades… many times voted as the best coffeehouse in their respective neighborhoods, awards for best coffee in The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Louis Vuitton City Guide, ABC Channel 7 News, KTLA Channel 5 News, LA Weekly
Stores in:
Santa Monica: 925 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica 90403
Brentwood Country Mart: 225 26th Street, Santa Monica 90402
Brentwood: 11975 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles 90049
Malibu: 22333 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
Montecito (coming soon)
For more information about Caffe Luxxe or to order their coffee on line:
www.caffeluxxe.com
www.facebook.com/caffeluxxe
twitter.com/caffeluxxe
