Jedidiah Coffee owners brew plans for café on Laguna Beach’s Coast Highway
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For the past three years, Laguna Beach coffee roasters Steve and Embry Munsey have been preparing and selling beans for high-end craft java lovers from a Laguna Canyon Road studio called Jedidiah Coffee.
The couple can regularly be seen running espresso bars at local business openings, purveying beans to local restaurants and even hosting occasional pop-ups, making a name for themselves and building a brand despite not having a brick-and-mortar café.
But all that is about to change.
On Wednesday, the Munseys appeared before the Laguna Beach Planning Commission, seeking the necessary permits to open a sidewalk café at a commercial property at 397 E. Coast Highway. The spot was formerly occupied by Laguna Nursery.
Their plan is to offer a range of coffee drinks and pastries, while selling beans from Africa and Central and South America, along with an array of culinary and coffee equipment and branded local merchandise.
Situated at the corner of Coast Highway and Jasmine Street, the location has ample room for outdoor patio seating and small gatherings. The Munseys, who were looking for spots to open a café, saw the space during their frequent walks to the beach and nearby Heisler Park and fell in love with it.
“When this spot became available, we jumped through some hurdles,” Steve Munsey said in an interview Thursday, adding they’ve been working with a real estate agent since spring to lease the property.
“I think this really could be a spot that pops off,” he said.
Coffee has been at the heart of the family for decades. Having worked in the coffee industry since 2004, Steve Munsey served a six-year stint at Starbucks, where he became manager of a store in Irvine and was encouraged by customers to start his own enterprise.
In the summer of 2019, the couple began selling and delivering craft coffee beans through their Laguna Canyon Road roasting studio. As a café, Jedidiah Coffee — named for the Munseys’ second child, whom they lost at birth — will focus on introducing coffee drinkers to beans and brewing methods that may be new to them.
Through their involvement in their children’s schools, clubs and other local organizations, the Munseys have been able to share their craft with the local community, who in turn, have shown their support.
“So much has happened naturally, because we want to be involved in the town and have our kids involved.” Embry Munsey said, describing bringing coffee to PTA meetings and Little League games.
“We figured if we’re going to do this, we might as well have coffee there, so it’s been our contribution wherever we go,” she continued. “It’s been a long process, but we’ve been able to do all these things and grow a following.
Planning commissioners on Wednesday said they received more than 30 letters from locals in favor of the Coast Highway coffee shop and zero correspondence opposing the project.
Commissioners themselves similarly supported the Munseys’ plans for the site, particularly their emphasis on promoting alternative forms of transportation to and from the shop.
A carless business model is almost a necessity for the property, which, aside from a driveway and garage for a nearby residence, has no dedicated parking spaces.
In addition to offering space for at least eight bicycles to park on the property, the couple said they’d like to implement an incentive program for carless customers and design a takeout window for walk-up orders.
“We want to make sure this feels like a welcoming place for people,” Steve Munsey told commissioners. “It’s a very walkable corner — there’s already people walking around and looking for coffee. We don’t want to put vehicles here because it would take away from the ambiance and community space.”
Planning commissioners Wednesday approved the plans, supporting the idea of granting Jedidiah Coffee four additional credits for off-site parking due to their pedestrian-friendly design and plans to accommodate bikes and electric golf carts, possibly offering charging stations.
They requested the couple solidify some of the ideas in their site plan before the project heads to an upcoming meeting of the Laguna Beach City Council for final approval of the parking credits.
“There’s a lot of teeth gnashing in this city, for good reason, about parking and parking spaces,” Commissioner Susan Whitin said. “But this particular project has fully added and, in fact, embraced the idea of alternative transportation, and I think it’s sincere and real.”
Commissioner Steven Goldman lauded Jedidiah Coffee for being a local business with something unique to offer the neighborhood and the greater Laguna community.
“This isn’t just a Starbucks wannabe — it feels local, it feels different,” he said, addressing the proprietors directly. “You’ve been good community members, and it’s great to have somebody coming in with a unique product who’s also very active locally.
With Wednesday’s recommendation secured and plans shaping up for an appearance before the City Council, the Munseys are hopeful the café may be up and running by summer.
“The sooner the better,” Steve Munsey said.
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