Living on the border of LA and OC, I always feel pressured to venture out of my hometown to find the next big thing. A couple of months ago, I never would have guessed that stumbling on a coffee pop-up shop in my little town would have turned into a friendship and an obsession. Let me explain. Gretchen Williams from Heartbreak Coffee was having a pop-up event at a local flower shop. She was serving some of the best cold brew and cookies I had ever had. After getting her contact information, attending future pop-ups, and working with them for various community events, we have become friends. As far as the obsession goes, you will become obsessed with the vision and branding as soon as you peruse their Instagram.

Heartbreak Coffee is a local roaster that is expanding to a brick and mortar coffee shop in Downtown Long Beach in the next couple of months. Gretchen had a dream of opening up a coffee shop after her previous experience as a barista. She witnessed the community that a coffee shop sheltered, from first dates, to reunited friends, to families, and breakups. She fell in love with the idea of sharing that kind of space with her community, a space that fosters such delicate human interactions and relationships. In 2012, she began roasting on her stove-top burner. After burning many beans and suffering several setbacks, Gretchen decided to turn her many heartbreaks into inspiration. She teamed up with designer Michelle Bandach (co-owner) to launch and start up the business – since then, they have perfected their roasting technique, started an online store, and hosted several community pop-up events.

Check out their Kickstarter project and help them reach their goal!
For more information, or to place an order, visit https://heartbreak-coffee-roasters.myshopify.com/