A Coffee Shop Experience for Design Lovers

A coffee grown & harvested in Colombia and roasted in Redondo Beach, CA. The Boy & The Bear became one of my favorite spots. Not just because the coffee is absolutely amazing but the design of three cafés make the entire environment very welcoming.

In LA, you can find The Boy & the Bear in three distinct locations.  Each cafe maintains the Columbian culture and coffee, yet is distinct in color; The Black Store (Redondo Beach), The Gray Store (Culver City) and The White Store (Westchester).

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Today, I’d like to take you on a little adventure that is, “The Black Store.” 

As the name suggests the whole cafe is painted black, both on the outside and the inside. This conveys an air of sophistication and luxury. Black, when used well in the decoration, conveys charm, elegance and power; as well as feelings of grandeur and authority. And being a commercial space, it’s important to consider the message you want to send people entering your store.

An ideal complement to black is bronze. Perfectly positioned on the wall behind the long counter is their logo in blazing bronze. The logo is strategically positioned in front of the customer as they order. This is an important marketing strategy. Putting your products’ brand in a highly visual place will lead to more people remembering your brand long after they’ve left your store. And as an added bonus, there’s a greater likelihood of them both returning again and again, and telling a friend or two. Afterall, the goal of your brand is to be remembered, right?!

Similar to the logo, the decoration throughout the store is accented in bronze; the small plant vases, the floating pendants above the service counter, and even the utensils for the preparing the various different types of coffee: like the pour over filter and gooseneck kettle. All of these details convey a very monochromatic environment. One that you never want to leave.

Keeping with the same visual identity, the seating is a focal point throughout. Upon entering the front entrance from the west, the seating area is smack dab in-between the counter and the entrance. They invite a feeling of comfort and warmth that is begging to be sat in. Following the same consistency throughout the project, the brown leather sofas are surrounded by black leather chairs with wooden bases, therefore creating the feeling of a small living room space. 

Lining the northwest side of the cafe along the windows, black wooden bistro tables and stools are yet another place to enjoy your coffee, have a conversation or catch up on some schoolwork.  

As you enter the cafe, your eye will notice the wall to the right. It’s full of charm with the wooden shelves that are showcasing the many products that The Boy and The Bear have to offer; like t-shirts, mugs and of course the delicious Columbian coffee beans roasted right in the store. Between the shelves is a huge frame with a custom designed poster that makes it a prime spot to capture a photo for Instagram. One of the most unique aspects of the space is the large bags of coffee beans that line the wall and add to the decoration and aroma. This little touch turns the cafe into more than just a coffee spot, but fulfilling on its promise that it’s a roastery as well.

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Aside from The Boy and Bear delivering on its promise ‘to serve the best cup of coffee someone has ever had in their life’, it is also one of the most inviting and beautiful cafe designs.