Los Angeles is home to a large number of coffee shops, but only one is owned by Quentin Tarantino.
The highly anticipated director's cafe recently opened next to the recently relaunched Vista Theatre, purchased by Tarantino in 2021and now Pam's Coffy serves up custom roasted coffee and retro vibes every day in Los Feliz.
The project has been underway for approximately five years. At first, the director of “Pulp Fiction” and “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” thought about opening a video rental store in the former ice cream parlor. Instead, he decided to build an informal, coffee-fueled gathering place so creatives could unwind and network.
The theater, which reopened in November With a mission to screen only theatrical prints of movies, not digital, it also serves food and drinks curated by Tarantino, including White Castle sandwiches and plastic cups from Hitching Post Wines. The café's offering is much stronger and will soon be expanded with dinner items.
Tarantino could not be reached for comment, but “It's all Quentin,” said Mayra Garcia, a rep for Pam's Coffy. “He has a very practical approach. I mean, this was always a dream of his. … What we serve ultimately is all to your liking.”
Pam's Coffy is decorated with lots of retro touches, including vintage Tarantino film art.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
While renovating the space, the team found a hole under a staircase, which Tarantino wanted to use as a VHS booth; the intimate compartment plays tapes from Tarantino's own collection, including supercuts from various television shows and musical performances that he has recorded on tape. Some of his own collectibles (figurines, lunch boxes and other retro knick-knacks) are also found in the cafe.
“I wanted it to be very informal and a community gathering place for people who want to be writers and actors,” Garcia said. “He wants people to enjoy the Wi-Fi, sit down and meet other writers, people in the industry. You want it to feel communal and welcoming at the same time. “I just wanted to give back to the community and also essentially give back to their fascination with black exploitation films and Pam Grier.”
Credited with breaking boundaries in film noir and widely heralded as one of the most cunning femme fatales of the 1970s, Grier starred in a number of action films, including “Coffy,” “Foxy Brown,” “The Big Doll House” and, in 1997, Tarantino's “Jackie Brown.”
Tarantino, who also owns the New Beverly Cinema, pays homage to Grier not only with the cafe's name, merchandising and iconography, but also with its decor: original posters from the star's career are framed around the space, while that there are colorful and wonderful murals and playable retro elements. Board games like dominoes help complete the '70s aesthetic.
The drip coffee found in the cafe is custom roasted for Tarantino by Jones Coffee Roasters of Pasadena, which for years has supplied Tarantino with caramel and vanilla flavored beans that he uses at home in a drip coffee maker. When it came time to open his café, the manager not only wanted to serve these custom roasts this way, but also sell them by the bag. They're brewed in bulk here, along with Bold Black Mamba, a nod to “Kill Bill,” as well as cold brew and sweetened coffee concoctions like lavender, vanilla, raspberry mocha, and butterscotch.
She chose to source the cafe's baked goods from Cake Monkey Bakery, which in addition to items like bacon-cheddar scones and vegan muffins specializes in “retro snacks,” all of which are offered at Pam's. Look for classic tarts and pastries by the slice, plus brown sugar “cake pops,” HoHos-inspired El Rollos, snowball-shaped Moguls, and a black-and-white “cakewich” reminiscent of a hostess cupcake.
Tarantino turned to Jones Coffee Roasters to custom blend caramel and vanilla coffee flavors, which can be ordered hot or iced, or in to-go coffee bean bags.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The director's love of old-fashioned fare continued with the wide selection of cereal, which is available by the bowl in options like peanut butter, berry, and Tarantino's favorite, Cap'n Crunch.
In the coming weeks, the team plans late-night hours and dinner items such as taquitos and mac and cheese bites, as well as wine and beer service, with items available to take to the theater for screenings. For die-hard fans, keep an eye out for memorabilia from Tarantino's films throughout the space, and the director himself.
“It's the kind of place you want to hang out,” Garcia said. “He is there. He will sit in the corner and just take it all in and read his book. He loves it”.
Pam's Coffy is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hours planned to eventually extend to 7 p.m. 4473 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, instagram.com/pamscoffy
