Former Starbucks baristas open Dura Coffee in Mid-City after previous store shut down

Baristas start cafe after their Starbucks closed

Five former Starbucks employees in Mid-City have opened their own coffee shop just blocks from the Starbucks where they used to work.

LOS ANGELES - Five former Starbucks employees in Mid-City have opened their own coffee shop just blocks from the Starbucks where they used to work, which was abruptly shut down in September. Dura Coffee was born out of their love for the community they’ve served for years, and a desire to showcase their Asian and Latino heritages in the process.

Jesus Hernandez, Kevin Pacheco, Ryan Pizarro, Ryan Kim, and Brian "Franco" Vazquez had all worked together at the Starbucks on Beverly Boulevard and Detroit Street. They were already planning a mobile coffee business when the store suddenly closed and the entire staff was let go.

"It was not just a job — we were family," Vazquez said.

Hernandez said the closure was heartbreaking for both staff and customers. "It was a community Starbucks, a neighborhood Starbucks that everyone loved going to, and we loved working there," he said. "It was pretty scary, and it was sad — I lost my community, I lost the routine, but something great came out of it, which was opening this place with these guys."

That place is Dura Coffee, a new shop on Beverly Boulevard that blends the group’s backgrounds and cultures into its menu. Pacheco said they wanted to create something they didn’t often see in Los Angeles: a shop that directly reflects their heritage.

"Here in Los Angeles, we don’t really have coffee shops that bring out our heritages, and that’s what we want to do different," he said.

Pizarro said that’s why the menu includes drinks like a lush ube latte and a latte made with Abuelita’s Mexican chocolate. "These type of ingredients are what makes us different from most places — we try to use and incorporate different types of ingredients from our cultures," he said.

Their storefront previously housed NY Cake Pops, owned by Lerida Mojica. She had been struggling to keep her business open amid skyrocketing property taxes. Her partnership with the group began when two of the former baristas knocked on her door and asked if she could wholesale cake pops for their future mobile cart.

"I said — I’m actually looking for a coffee partner, and it just happened super quick," Mojica said. Within weeks, they formalized a plan: she would keep baking under her ‘Leri Bakes’ brand, and the group would launch and run the coffee operation.

Mojica said the collaboration has brought new life into the space. "Just the energy, it’s so fun," she said. "I see them making friendships with their customers every day… they’re really good people and I’m happy that we’re here together."

Kim said the opening of Dura Coffee brought back countless familiar faces. "It was a really surreal moment when we opened," he said. "So many supporters coming in and people I haven’t seen in years… it’s like we picked up from yesterday."

Some of those familiar faces include Charlie, Tracy, and Jack Cook, longtime regulars at the former Starbucks. "We’re seeing familiar faces already coming in," Charlie said. "We’re trying to get the band back together from the old Starbucks days but in a new chapter in a better way."

Tracy said she was impressed the group found a way forward. "I was just uplifted that they got it together, they figured out a plan, and God bless them — this is what we need," she said. "Mom and pops are the center of almost every city and we should do everything we can to support these young men working it out, figuring out the next step."

Vazquez said the goal is to recreate the warm, neighborhood atmosphere their old customers loved. "This is ours, and I hope people can see that," he said. "Everyone that used to go to our Starbucks, you’ll feel the same way you felt there — home, comfort."

Dura Coffee and Leri Bakes are located at 7306 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. It’s open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.