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It’s not uncommon for a “coming soon” sign to be off by a few months. But after waiting all of 2019 and not seeing much progress as 2020 rolled in, I was starting to grow skeptical that the coffee shop/wine bar next door to my apartment in the Marina Del Rey area of Los Angeles would open anytime soon.
Then, when Covid first noticeably hit the U.S. in March 2020 and shutdowns ensued — with California, and Los Angeles County in particular, having some of the swiftest and strongest responses — a community-focused cafe suddenly seemed like an impossibility. I wondered if the space would ever open or if it would sit vacant until a new owner found a use for it years later.
But lo and behold, as the dystopian summer of 2020 came to an end, I started to see a sprinkle of activity next door. Seemingly out of nowhere, Ten, the new sibling outpost of nearby coffee house/roaster Bar Nine, then launched its soft opening on the apt date of 9/10.
Covid restrictions were still very much in place in LA at the time, and a few months later the region took a turn for the worse, causing outdoor dining to pause. Yet Ten’s launch suddenly felt like an oasis arrived, with little doses of normalcy being served in the cafe’s sustainable glass jars.
Opening Amidst Closures
Starting a new business during Covid, especially a food-and-beverage one, hardly seems like good timing. In fact, Bar Nine pivoted away from serving cafe customers during Covid and more toward ventures like roasting beans and refining its products. But with Ten, launching during Covid has gone about as well as one could hope, all things considered.
“We were just finishing our build-out and getting ready for final inspections when the first shutdown happened,” explains Zayde Naquib, founder of Bar Nine and Ten. “Throughout the first few months we strongly considered waiting until restrictions were lifted, but once we got approval to open from the Health Department, we felt it would be best to at least get a version of our service going when we could.”
That version unfortunately hasn’t been able to include much emphasis on the interior space, though that’s now starting to change with restrictions lifting. Still, things often have a way of working out.
“We are so grateful for the Al Fresco program that has allowed for outdoor dining. Like many others, we hope that continues long after the pandemic,” says Naquib. “It’s amazing for guests and connects Los Angeles to other cities that have ample outdoor dining, from many in Europe to sidewalk cafes in New York.”
Not only did the timing help Ten develop its outdoor component, but the unusual circumstances have in a way helped the cafe develop its community identity.
“We really believe in the concept of a real neighborhood spot and think Ten can be a special place for the community. We talked internally about being the kitchen and coffee bar for the neighborhood,” says Naquib. “This process has helped us slow down and appreciate the journey of opening the restaurant that much more.”
Looking Forward Sustainably
With both indoor and outdoor restrictions continually lifting in LA, and with more people being vaccinated, Ten looks to build off of its initial success and expand into new areas, such as serving wine and a full dinner menu. Naquib notes that he also hopes to resume service at Bar Nine in the future. But even if that doesn’t happen, the work his team has put in during COVID has been well spent advancing the company’s love of coffee and commitment to sustainability. For example, in November 2020, they launched Espresso Nectar, their patent-pending batch espresso product.
“One of the realities in most espresso bars is an incredible amount of waste in the pursuit of a great extraction. From dialling in the coffee in the morning, to making grind adjustments throughout the day, to purging the grinder at night for cleaning, there is simply a lot of coffee wasted,” says Naquib. “By treating espresso in a batch format, we mitigate those losses as shots are individually heated to order, which also activates the crema. We essentially operate with zero wasted shots in our bar flow. This also changes our perspective to focus on delivering better drinks and training for palate development over muscle memory.”
Opening Ten has also helped the company expand its glass jar takeaway program, where both hot and cold drinks come in a glass container that can either be enjoyed at the cafe or taken home (and then brought back for a discount on the next drink). The company is also trying to help this program take off in other cafes across the U.S., with Naquib counting 19 shops going this route, including Bar Nine and Ten.
Overall, Ten exemplifies how it’s possible to still create bright places in dark times with a sustainable foundation.
“With Ten, it really has become the synthesis of our experiences through Bar Nine, our approach to coffee, and how we deliver great guest experiences,” says Naquib. “I think it represents where we are going in so many ways, and we have a lot of fun things in the works for the service over there as restrictions lift and that team gets fleshed out. It has the best of our culture at Bar Nine, while also being evolutionary in its own way.”