Sip & Sonder, one of Los Angeles' top coffee shops that led a revival of similar Black-owned spots across the region, will permanently close its flagship location in downtown Inglewood on Wednesday.
Founded in 2018 by Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas, the spacious, sunlit coffee shop has become an essential community gathering space, serving house-roasted espresso on beers that center Black culture, like the Cardi Rose latte named after hip-hop artist Cardi B. Beyond its coffee program, Sip & Sonder is a thriving creative hub hosting artist residencies, educational coffee workshops, pitch competitions for burgeoning Black businesses and jazz nights frequented by legendary musician Stevie. Wonder.
Shanita Nicholas and Amanda-Jane Thomas, co-owners of Sip & Sonder.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
The closure was announced in an Instagram post on Friday, and locals took to the comments to mourn the loss of the beloved neighborhood coffee shop.
“I wrote half of my thesis here during my PhD program,” one person posted.
Someone else shared: “When I was homeless, I came here to apply for jobs on my laptop every day. Sometimes I had money for coffee, sometimes I didn't, but I did my Zoom interview here and got my job. This place never kicked me out and treated me well. This place saved me.”
Sharla Berry, a regular customer who hosted craft workshops at the café, wrote in a separate Instagram post: “At Sip & Sonder, you were never pressured to buy drinks. You were allowed to relax, take up space… Sip & Sonder made you feel like you had a place where you could just… be.”
Thomas called the closure a “deep personal devastation” and said it has been difficult to maintain a physical presence in Los Angeles over the past few years, particularly in 2025, due to a variety of factors such as rising rents, labor costs and lower consumer spending. In the end, she and Nicholas decided to close the flagship to preserve the future of the brand.
Sip & Sonder's coffee kiosk remains open outside the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles, with coffee beans available for purchase online.
“There is a lot of potential for what Sip & Sonder can continue to do,” Thomas said, adding that the outpouring of support shows “there is a need.”
Nicholas and Thomas became friends while working as lawyers for the same firm and often met at local coffee shops. Reflecting on the lack of similar spaces in the environments where they grew up and lived, the couple decided to partner and launch Sip & Sonder, focusing on highlighting sustainable, traceable coffee sourced from communities of color around the world.
Customers enjoy an afternoon at the Sip & Sonder coffee shop.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Considered the long-standing nexus of Los Angeles' black community, Inglewood was intentionally selected for the flagship location, especially with nearby SoFi Stadium nearing completion and generating renewed developer interest in the area. As the neighborhood experienced changes, including the closing of the nearby Salt Eaters bookstore earlier this year, Sip & Sonder became a vital third space.
“It's beautiful to see how our relationship with the community has evolved and grown,” Thomas said. “I went back to when I started my coffee journey and felt like a stranger in coffee shops and wanting to see people who look like me… The agency we have to be able to create drinks and profiles that speak to our community, that's been a highlight.”
When the pandemic forced the cafe to temporarily close in 2020, Nicholas and Thomas transitioned to an in-house roasting program and began offering their own blends for retail purchase. As the two owners prepare to close the Inglewood location, they are pivoting once again.
“I'm leaning toward change,” Thomas said. “As our flagship closes, we want everyone to continue on the journey with us as we evolve, change and move into new areas. There is power in simply continuing to champion the business.”
Thomas hopes to maintain Sip & Sonder's presence in Inglewood and the broader South Los Angeles region and is currently exploring different shapes that could take shape.
“Our history in Inglewood has shown the need and all the wonderful things that can come from a space like that,” he said. “So how do we create that in a way that's sustainable? And not necessarily just for the Sip & Sonder brand, but for the community.”
