Claro Coffee at Made Lumber in San Diego’s Morena neighborhood. Photo by Chris Park Photography, courtesy of Claro Coffee.
Lovely wooden surfaces, furniture and accents are often used in coffee shop interiors to add warmth, earthiness and authenticity – all to create a cosy environment in which to sell coffee.
For one novel coffee shop in San Diego’s Morena neighborhood, it’s coffee that’s helping sell lumber.
Photo by Chris Park, courtesy of Claro Coffee.
Claro Coffee filled with seating, tables, shelves, surfaces and art made by skilled hands from reclaimed and living wood. The cafe serves as a showroom in the front Made of wooda specialized cabinetmaking and lumberyard in San Diego whose services include custom furniture production, assembly and delivery in a variety of wood species, from sycamore and cedar to 3,000-year-old redwood or prized claro walnut.
Photo by Chris Park, courtesy of Claro Coffee.
Jon Boyd, a partner in both ventures, told Daily Coffee News that before the cafe opened, there were signs on the exposed woodwork that said “do not touch,” which wasn’t particularly inviting or engaging. Boyd said that while founder Brian Grasela had long planned to experiment with a home entrance cafe, it wasn’t until the team grew to three people — Grasela, Boyd and Jorge Diaz — that the time and bandwidth finally came to do it.
Photo by Chris Park, courtesy of Claro Coffee.
“We did all the furniture, all the built-ins,” Boyd said. “Now people can actually come in, have a coffee, sit at one of the tables we made, and we don’t have to worry about us saying, ‘Don’t touch.’”
Boyd said the team took particular pleasure in designing the café as a whole, rather than bringing one or two pieces of furniture or fixtures into a room. Plus, they get to enjoy some of their own craftsmanship.
Photo by Chris Park, courtesy of Claro Coffee.
“Before we finished the table, we delivered it to the customer and then we never saw it again,” Boyd said. “It’s frigid to see our furniture actually being used in a coffee shop. People see it and say, ‘Wow, that’s really frigid,’ and we say, ‘Well, we can make you one.’”
The tools of the coffee trade at Claro Bar include: The Marzoco AV Express Line, Mazzer grinders and coffee machine manufactured by Wilbur CurtisConsulting, equipment and roasted coffees come from San Diego Zumbar Coffee and Teawhose Hummingbird blend is the house spirit at Claro.
Photo by Chris Park, courtesy of Claro Coffee.
“It takes longer to make a piece of furniture than it does to make a cup of coffee, but if you make a cup of coffee sloppy, it will taste like shit, and if you make furniture sloppy, it will look like shit,” Boyd said. “Attention to detail and consistency in both—that’s what keeps people coming back.”
Diaz’s Cuban roots are the foundation of a uncomplicated, espresso-focused menu that includes several Cuban-style drinks, including a cortadito and café con leche. Drip coffee is also recommended in smaller doses, with purity in mind. Frosty brew is available in 16-ounce portions, but everything scorching is served in 12-ounce cups or smaller.
Photo by Chris Park, courtesy of Claro Coffee.
“We don’t pour 20-ounce pumpkin spice lattes,” Boyd said. “Our coffee is powerful, flavorful and quality.”
Claro Coffee Bar is now open 5334 Banks Street, Apartment Ain San Diego, California.
Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the deputy editor of Daily Coffee News at Roast Magazine. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
- Retail sales
- California/Pacific
