One door closes and Dura Coffee opens on Beverly Boulevard
By Wendy Werris
Among the many Starbucks locations that shut down last year was the popular, community-centric store on the corner of Beverly Boulevard and Detroit Street. The longtime staff there was notified by phone just two days before the store was to close.
FACADE of new shop.
PASTRY COUNTER at the coffee shop.
“I had a great team, and we all took a big hit,” said Jesus Hernandez-Galicia, who had been the shift supervisor at the store for six years.
Little did they know, however, that help was on the way, just four blocks west of the shuttered Starbucks.
Lerida Mojica held the lease on what used to be NY Cake Pops, a store in the mini-mall on Beverly and Poinsettia Place. Mojica had opened the store in 2023 and was successful, but financial issues led her to close.
Meanwhile, Hernandez-Galicia and Brian Kim, cofounded Dura Coffee cart, which they stocked with coffees and pastries and brought to local farmers’ markets and flea markets. They paid a visit to NY Cake Pops to ask Mojica if they could add her cake pops to their cart. Their instant rapport and shared entrepreneurial spirit led them to open Dura Coffee in Mojica’s store. “We realized that we really wanted to open our own store,” said Hernandez-Galicia. “And this made it possible.” There is a full bakery in the back of the store, Leri Bakes, that allows Mojica to keep making baked goods that the community clamors for.
SIGNATURE coffees and matchas are on the menu.
“We had two weeks to get ready,” Hernandez-Galicia said, laughing. “It was wild. We had to remodel the space, get the equipment, and order the product. We put a rush order in for our sign.” The other tenants in the mall, such as Kearns’ Market and the Box and Ship store, welcomed Dura and its multicultural staff and customers.
DURA co-founders (from left) Jesus Hernandez-Galicia, Brian Vazquez, and Ryan Pizarro.
Local resident and customer Tracy Abbott Cook said, “These guys didn’t just make coffee at [Starbucks], they built relationships. You can sense that continuity at Dura. It already feels like it belongs to the neighborhood.”
“We want Dura to be a community centerpiece,” Hernandez-Galicia said. “There are five cofounders here, and we come from Mexico, Korea, the Philippines, and Central America.”
Leri Bakes is NY Cake Pops’ sister brand and offers baked goods made fresh in-house. Some of the pastries on the menu are inspired Mojica’s background. She hails from Culiacán, Mexico,
The store is also planning events, such as jazz nights, baking classes, and more. “We source our coffee from Jetty Coffee, which no one else in the area offers. So break your morning routine—come to Dura!” Hernandez-Galicia said.
Dura Coffee, 7306 Beverly Blvd., 323-507-7244. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m
Category: Real Estate
