Once again, it’s been Forever since last we blogged, and stuff has happened, is happening, and will be happening.

To begin with, tomorrow, April 20th is Record Store Day - which has celebrated independent record stores since 2007.

Javista, in collaboration with Omnivore Recordings and Amoeba Music, has created a celebratory cross-promotion which gives you a free drink - espresso-based, coffee, tea, cocoa: whatever! - for shopping at Amoeba Records, and brings you into our café to see the beyond-cool “Spaced Out!” exhibit of rare, space-themed album covers. (The free drink is offered with your purchase of premium pastry or sandwich.)

Omnivore Recordings producer Cheryl Pawelski has collected these gorgeous and occasionally-hilarious record covers for years, and generously shared part of her much larger exhibit with us at Javista - thirteen of our favorites are on our cafe walls for the next month for our first art show using our NEW museum-quality hanging system.

What else? Well, we’ve added some delicious new handmade treats to our pastry shelves, including tender salted caramels (below), and the deeply-rich espresso fudge and flourless pecan cookies.

Our protective awning, up for a few months, has finally been labeled, and now both protects our customers from the sun, and identifies us for passing pedestrians and cars as they whiz by on Sunset Blvd.

Our favorable Yelp reviews have gone off the charts - we’re so grateful to our customers who’ve taken the time to write about their favorite Javista offerings, and their happiest impressions of our place. These reviews have been more than we ever could’ve hoped for, and they’ve helped us so much. The joint is jumpin’.

Finally: It is known - when you play the Game of Coffee, you either win, or you are insufficiently caffeinated.

(You can make your own “Games of Thrones” sigil here.)

Find us at javistacafe.com, on Yelp at http://www.yelp.com/biz/javista-organic-coffee-bar-los-angeles, on twitter at https://twitter.com/JavistaCoffee, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee, instagram at http://instagram.com/Javista and googlemap https://plus.google.com/117966553495096977762/about?gl=us&hl=en

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Sandwiches and Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood. Our hours are 7a-7p daily. Currently digitally located on javistacafe.com, tumblr and twitter, etc. We opened in the Real World on 12/10/12 at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028, 323.464.6707.

Heavens, lawds, holy moly, it’s been a while since we last blogged. Last time we did, we weren’t even open - I don’t think our sign was up yet:

…and now we’ve been VERY BISY SELLING DELICIOUS STUFF for over 5 weeks. (We did what is known as a “soft open”, with an Official Opening to be announced in some weeks from now. This gives us more time to experiment on y’alls.)

Hopefully you’ll forgive us when you see what we’ve been up to.

Oh the busy!! The joint is often jumping.

Naturally now that we have actual customers, we’ve further expanded our menu with help from their tastes and input, and we’ve developed some favorites (our Gibraltar and our Nutella Mocha (below) come to mind).

The Nutella Mocha has been hugely popular, probably because it requires the plentiful application of plenty of the below, which is pretty much always a Good Thing.

(We have other items off-menu as we continue to explore & refine, so be sure to ask us if there are any interesting off-menu drinks or other creations when you visit. You won’t regret it. And our menu is not up on our site yet - it will be once we feel satisfied that it has settled into something constant.)

In January we added sandwiches to our menu - they began marching off the shelves the moment we began. [Not literally, which would be weird.] Apparently working folks & residents in the area have really been craving a new lunch source. We’re happy to oblige.

We got some online coverage early on, which was very welcome & helpful…

“Javista Joins Growing Roster of Indie Coffee Bars in L.A”

Taza, Javista, 8 Espressos Heat Up LA’s Coffee Wars

… and we are so grateful that our Yelp reviews & tips have been stellar. Yelp being Yelp, though, they’ve arbitrarily filtered three reviews.




So in conclusion: our press is good, our customers satisfied, some happy regulars are emerging, some of our best friends and favorite people have already visited, our hours and menu are settling down, our baristas are great and better every day, and business grows BIGGER every day. We’ve added some yummy stuff to our bakery (though this shot doesn’t show the half of ‘em)…

And all we’re really waiting for now is for you to come in. ; ]

Tell yer friends. More later, and soon.

(To our Kickstarter supporters - please, we implore you, be patient w/ us, because we are busy and crazy… but we haven’t forgotten you. And those that opted for coffee/tea perks, you should have received your Urth rewards already. Do let us know if not.)

Find us at javistacafe.com, on Yelp at http://www.yelp.com/biz/javista-organic-coffee-bar-los-angeles, on twitter at https://twitter.com/JavistaCoffee, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee, and on instagram at http://instagram.com/Javista. We are still “pending approval” on Google Local business listings & GoogleMap, but we should appear shortly.

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Sandwiches and Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood. Our hours are 7a-7p daily. Currently digitally located on javistacafe.com, tumblr and twitter, etc. We opened in the Real World on 12/10/12 at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028, 323.464.6707.



Located just a few blocks east of Highland Ave.

Possibly I exaggerate. Our version of heaven, anyway…

Heaven for us will be: all inspections passed, everything all finished & shiny & cleaned up, our lovely & talented baristas & sammich-makers fully-trained (we have a great bunch of folks - we’re so happy with ‘em) and the doors OPEN!! Open like sesame.

We’re so close, we can taste it. And it tastes like: mocha.

(Photo by Eric T. Gunther/via Wkikpedia/Creative Commons license)

Our final FINAL FINAL inspection is next week - the last of many health & building & safety inspections. When we pass it, we may consider our doors freed to open.

We’ve gotten supplies in.

And they are building our railing for our outdoor seating. (This is getting covered with decorative wood-weavings, just as in Javista’s interior.)

BTW, Sunday was the annual Christmas parade in Hollywood, and we handed out discount coupons and watched the sights. Here are some of our favorite Big Balloons.

(Kermit reflected in Javista’s window. We believe he wants to eat us.)

So, mes amis, we have passed the beginning, the end of the beginning, all of the the middle bits, the beginning of the end, and we’re nearing the very end of the very end. Light, so to speak, illuminating the end of the tunnel.

And then our work really begins. ; ] We’ll keep you posted…

(To our Kickstarter supporters - your premiums are being made as we speak. We’ll keep you apprised…)

Find us at javistacafe.com, on twitter at https://twitter.com/JavistaCoffee and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood. Currently digitally located on javistacafe.com, tumblr and twitter, and coming in December to the Real World at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028, 323.464.6707.



Located just a few blocks east of Highland Ave.

Insert smiley-face of your choice here. ‘Cos it’s TRUE.

While maybe not as dramatic as some other historic constructions:

…we did have some exciting moments. This is our AC unit getting crane-lowered onto our roof.

But really - our transformation just below is equally as dramatic. There’s only about a month’s worth of MUCH work between the Before and the After.

What else? Well, we’ve hired our baristas and sandwich-makers, passed about eleventy-billion more inspections, bought small equipment & dishes, and are final-planning our menus and lining up our vendors. We have yet more major inspections to pass next week, with our final finals - both health inspection and building & safety - scheduled for mid-week after the holiday.

Cross your fingers for us. Once we pass these inspections, we’ll start planning the openings. And of course, we’ll tell you.

Oh, and for any of you wondering what we’ll have for you if you don’t drink coffee: in addition to lovely fresh-made sammiches and pastries - here’s just a limited sampling… (photo by Debora Roventini)…

We’ll have a wide range of lovely aromatic Urth tea:

So Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy. We’ll see you afters.

And we’ll see you at Javista soon. Srsly.

You can also find us on twitter at https://twitter.com/JavistaCoffee and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood. Currently digitally located on javistacafe.com, tumblr and twitter, and coming in December to the Real World at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028, 323.464.6707.



Located just a few blocks east of Highland Ave.

Here’s our Javista Kickstarter blooper reel. The video is short - less than 3.5 minutes - and only the first two minutes are blooper-iffic; the last section is the Backer Roll, preserved for all time, with our thanks for everyone’s generosity, perseverance, and patience with our constant nattering. ; ]

(And if you’re a backer & somehow we managed to get your name wrong, please please don’t hate us. We worked very hard to make sure there were no errors, but Stuff Happens.)

Most backers are family and friends - but some aren’t, or aren’t close, or haven’t known us long, or have never met us - and yet such a melange-y patchwork of wonderful folks helped us to achieve our espresso dream. It was really: wonderful, and we were totally floored.

The espresso machine is coming (and getting installed - it’s a Whole Big Thing, with calibration & attendants and whatnot, maybe even a ritual sacrifice with coffee. ; ] ) We’ll post pictures of it then.

And in case you wondered, the song playing is “The Look” by Metronomy. It’s a favorite “up” song here at Javista. (Plus the video has: duckies!) And the hat? Well, the hat is the Whedon-y stuff of legends. This particular one was crafted by Ma Cobb of Canada; her Etsy store is here.

(BTW, never fear - backer premium questionnaires will be coming shortly. Oh my ears and whiskers. So much to do. But we haven’t forgotten because: we never will. So: soon.)

One step nearer to being Really Real! We’re coming at you, soon! #GetDownWithOurBadSelves

Everything moves slowly at the beginning, speeds up just a little in the middle, and then really becomes a HUGE ROLLING WHEEL OF ACTIVITY as it nears the end. That’s where we are today - we’re a buzzing hive of activity as Javista’s construction nears its completion.

Just a short while ago, we were working on the interior framing - that’s like the skeleton of the place. Now we’ve done the drywalling - that’s like the café’s *skin* - and all of the rough construction should be done by the end of this week. #EekEekEek

We’ll be doing the finish details next week - that’s like adding clothes and some fancy-yet-subtle make-up. (Ask us sometime about how many sub-contractors have been involved in getting us this far, and how many we’ll have used at the end. The number is: staggeringly-astronomically-huge.)

So, here’s us drywalled:

(Note all our construction stuff in the middle of the place. We’re not untidy - we just don’t have a lot of extra room, as you’ll see below.)

Below is our kitchen area getting its drop-ceiling (we’ve been able to keep the lovely old wood beams in the dining area uncovered. Purty, huh?)

We’ve passed so many L.A. city inspections recently it makes our head spin. We’ve also been: meeting with suppliers, setting up accounts and ordering stuff (spending money!! woo-hoo!) and generally getting all our processes and parts and paper in order. The furniture has started arriving - and with little storage, we’ve had to put the chairs in our nearby Ragtag Design offices. #MoreEek

At some point, we fully expect our office to look, I mean sound, like Fibber McGee’s closet. (No, we are none of us that old - not hardly. We just love Old Time Radio. Check it out - it’s free and it’s habit-forming.)

But it’s all happening - at the Zoo. We mean: at Javista. Exciting.

Kickstarter Update - Last Chance is A’Coming Soon

We have 65 generous backers, we’re 27% funded at $4,442 pledged and just seven (7) days to go. We’ve made progress since our last report towards hitting our $16,000 Kickstarter goal, but we’ve got one week left to raise the rest, or we lose it all). Please send our Kickstarter link to anyone who 1) likes coffee and/or 2) retro graphics or 3) lives in the L.A. area. We need your help to make this happen. (And if you’ve already backed us, many thanks again.)

Re: our blooper/outtake reel. It’s filled with delightful mistakes, and it does include a knitted orange hat* of some kind (made by @MaCobbsHatShop). ; ] We’ll STILL post it when we hit 50% of our goal. Remember - you get to laugh at David and Armond, which offers never-ending fun for those of us that know them. Or even if you don’t.

Our gratitude goes out to all of our current backers - updated 10-3-12 - (in alphabetical order). Please join us and be on our next list.

Sevak Abrahamian
Hilda Abram
Greg Allen  
Sara Anjargolian
Armen  
Aida Aroustamian      
Audrey Bilger
Melissa Bleir
Geoff Bock
Cynthia Bradburn      
Robert M. Bravo
C.A. Bridges
catpeg
Yeve Chilingaryan
Sara Charney Cohen  
Tamara Cook
dutch cramblitt  
Mick Davoudian
efehan      
Diane Elhard  
Beth Ellis-Dickson
Enamyisun
Hermine Gevondyan
Gorramsister
Armineh Hovanesian
Evelin Hovnanian
Roubina Hovnanian-Manouchehri
Ken Hughes
jacqueline
Loretta Karakas
Karen
Kimberly              
Karmen King
Raffi Kotikian
Laura
lilbird
Lioness                      
Brian Love
Heather Malone
Linda & Madison Mason
Brian Mast
Anna Meloyan
Mesropian    
Nora Minassian                  
Linda Mitala
Tom A. Phenix
Henrietta Prime
Stephen Provizer
Shant Ranjbar
samatwitch
Jenni Santamaria
David Saryan                      
Damon Schmidt  
Mike Schotte                  
Irene Selemi
Vahram Shahgaldian
Marianne Simon
Eric Sipple
Mere Smith
Sporks
Stunt Kitty Films
Jennifer Sweeney
The One True b!X
whyiwatch
Shelly Willis

*Knitted orange hat will be familiar to viewers of the TV show “Firefly” - to others it will just look preposterous. ; ]

So: please do visit our Kickstarter here, and find out about some great coffee coming to Hollywood - and read about groovaliciously-cool premiums you can get whether you live near us or out-of-town.

You can also find us on twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/javistaCoffee and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood, with website to follow. Currently digitally located on tumblr and twitter, coming this Fall to the Real World at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. (Initially we were JavaLove Café - so our earliest posts are at http://javalovecafe.tumblr.com/ and our old tweets are at: https://twitter.com/#!/JavaLoveCafe)



Located just a few blocks east of Highland Ave.

Our insides are getting all fleshed out, and although you can’t see it all, our coffee bar now also contains new plumbing, new wiring, a hot water heater, a water filtration system, fancy duct works, many, many workers of different specialties constantly coming and going, and two sinks waiting to be installed.





We decided that once we were past 20% funding for our Kickstarter campaign we’d let all y’all know about our blooper/outtake reel. It’s filled with delightful mistakes, and it may or may not also include a knitted orange hat* of some kind (possibly made by @MaCobbsHatShop). ; ] We’ll post it when we hit 50% of our goal. You get to laugh at David and Armond, which is always fun.

Now, on to the prezzie. People have been so responsive to our Kickstarter and so encouraging about Javista Coffee Bar in general, that we wanted to give everyone a little gift for their past - or future - contribution. We’ve made a little downloadable set of two notecards, high-res and printable on an 8.5” x 11”. It’s yours whether or not you’ve become a backer - although we do hope you have - or that you will.




You can download the card pdf here.

(Let us know if you have any issues in downloading the file.)

So: with 47 backers, 23% funded at $3,712 raised and 22 days to go, we are decently on our way to achieving our $16,000 Kickstarter goal - (although we need to continue at a similar rate, or lose it all). Please pass on our link to anyone you know who 1) likes coffee and/or 2) retro graphics or 3) lives in the L.A. area. We need your help to get out the word.

Our gratitude goes out to all of our current backers (in alphabetical order).

Sevak Abrahamian
Hilda Abram
Greg Allen   
Sara Anjargolian   
Aida Aroustamian       
Audrey Bilger
Melissa Bleir
Cynthia Bradburn       
Robert M. Bravo
C.A. Bridges
catpeg
Sara Charney Cohen   
Tamara Cook   
Mick Davoudian
efehan       
Diane Elhard   
Beth Ellis-Dickson
Gorramsister
Armineh Hovanesian
Evelin Hovnanian
Roubina Hovnanian-Manouchehri
Loretta Karakas
Kimberly               
Karmen King
Laura
Lioness                       
Brian Love
Heather Malone
Linda & Madison Mason
Brian Mast       
Nora Minassian                   
Linda Mitala
Tom A. Phenix
Henrietta Prime
Stephen Provizer
Shant Ranjbar
samatwitch
Jenni Santamaria                       
Damon Schmidt   
Mike Schotte                   
Irene Selemi
Vahram Shahgaldian
Eric Sipple
Mere Smith
Jennifer Sweeney
The One True b!X
whyiwatch


*Knitted orange hat will be familiar to viewers of the TV show “Firefly”.

Visit our Kickstarter here, and watch the fun.

You can also find us on twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/javistaCoffee and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood, and with website to follow. Currently digitally located on tumblr and twitter, coming this Fall to the Real World at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. (Formerly JavaLove Café - our previous posts are at http://javalovecafe.tumblr.com/ and our old tweets are at: https://twitter.com/#!/JavaLoveCafe)



Located just a few blocks east of Highland Ave.

Tomorrow there will be a big ol’ blog, a surprise, and a list of and thank-yous to all of our supporters so far. We have 46 backers, are 22% funded, for a total of $3662. ; ]

Today, let us leave you with some little-known coffeehouse history: it was an Armenian named Pasqua Rosée who opened the first coffee shop in London in 1652 - it was called “The Sign of Pasqua Rosee’s Head”. He also opened the first Paris coffeehouse, in 1672, during a Parisian fair, which continued its operation after the fair was over. #TheMoreYouKnow

For now, visit our Kickstarter here, and watch the fun: http://kck.st/PfKCI4

You can also find us on twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/javistaCoffee and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood, and with website to follow. Currently digitally located on tumblr and twitter, coming this Fall to the Real World at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. (Formerly JavaLove Café - our previous posts are at http://javalovecafe.tumblr.com/ and our old tweets are at: https://twitter.com/#!/JavaLoveCafe)



Located just a few blocks east of Highland Ave.

Javista is Kickstarting! We need a little push to get us up over the edge, and so we’re looking for your kind help. You can give a little, or you can give a lot, and in return, you can get a little piece of Javista for your very own.

We can’t name the place after you (à la Exxon/Mobil Masterpiece Theatre) - but we’re willing to go pretty far! We’ll carve your name in the rafters. (And we’re *so* willing to discuss getting a tattoo with your name and picture on it. Seriously! No shame!!)

Check out our premiums - from magnets and notecards, all the way up to V.I.P. membership (if you’re in L.A.) to premium Urth Caffé gift baskets - and beyond. Because: you’re worth it! And really because: we need your help!

Take your time & decide how much you feel comfortable spending - but don’t take toooooo long - we have 30 days to meet (or exceed) our $16,000 goal, and if we don’t meet it, we don’t get *any* of the money. That would be so saaaad.

Please share this post if you can - and feel free to tell anyone you think might be interested in helping. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us on twitter, tumblr, Facebook, or via the email address provided in our Kickstarter text.

You can also find us on twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/javistaCoffee and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JavistaCoffee

Javista Organic Coffee Bar. Exceptional Organic Coffees & Teas. Fresh Artisanal Baked Goods. Stylish & Comfortable Setting. By Whedon Fans. Located in The Hungry Heart of Hollywood, and with website to follow. Currently digitally located on tumblr and twitter, coming this Fall to the Real World at 6707 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. (Formerly JavaLove Café - our previous posts are at http://javalovecafe.tumblr.com/ and our old tweets are at: https://twitter.com/#!/JavaLoveCafe)



Located just a few blocks east of Highland Ave.