Serving Community and Coffee
by Lisa André
Los Olivos in January welcomed a new, off-the-beaten-path coffeehouse, "Lefty's Coffee Co.," that is tucked away in a residential neighborhood on San Marco Avenue and Alamo Pintado avenues, where locals now gather for freshly made organic coffee and baked treats.
Owners and local residents Laura Newman and Jim Tauber purchased the property months before the COVID crisis hit with a vision of fulfilling their dream to own a coffeehouse — with a heavy emphasis on community and quality coffee.
“We wanted to create a place where the community could drop in for a great cup of coffee and organic baked goods, sit in our garden and stay all day, if they want to,” explained the couple, who fell in love a decade ago with the coffee and granola scene at a little hippy café in rural Wyoming.
Spurred rather than spurned by pandemic-induced shutdowns, the duo used the time to renovate the 1930s dwelling and transform it into a little bungalow that brews.
The Lefty’s menu offers an all-organic selection of baked goods by Sandra Adu Zelli, Santa Barbara-based chef, baker and owner of Gipsy Hill Bakery, and custom-made beans by Santa Barbara-based coffee roasters Dennis Medina and Carrie Nelson. Shop packaging, cups and straws are also compostable, in keeping with the good-for-you theme.
Newman and Tauber said patrons are invited to enjoy the warmly lit indoor space that offers free Wi-Fi and plenty of electrical outlets for charging devices, gather on the spacious back patio, or arrange a private coffee cupping session. The shop also is available to rent for full-service catering events.
Lefty's is located at 2896 San Marcos Ave. in Los Olivos and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.