Down To Urth

Down to Urth

            Urth Caffe is not your ordinary coffee shop. Urth Caffe is America’s first private owned coffee company. When I first went to Urth Caffe in May, I did not know what to expect.  I did a taste test and ordered the ice blended white chocolate mocha, which is Urth’s equivalent of what I normally order at Starbucks.  When I got my ice blended white chocolate mocha I took the first sip and it was amazing.  I could taste the delicious sweetening vanilla and I could hardly tell that there was any coffee in there.  I have come to find that this is no ordinary café.  The quality of its coffee sets them apart from the other businesses that are competing for the honor of being the best café in Los Angeles.

            Unlike many coffee shops, the coffee at Urth Cafe is naturally grown. Through interviewing Shallom Berksan, the owner of Urth, I learned a lot of intriguing facts about coffee. Shallom’s first encounter with organic coffee was when he met a gentleman in the late 80s who was doing an organic coffee project in Peru at the time.  I learned that coffee is the most chemically treated food in the world.  This fact repulsed me because I do not like chemicals in any food I eat because it makes the product taste so much worse.  Fortunately, Shallom agreed with me. Shallom revealed that he loves organic coffee because it is cultural, clean, and sustainable.  This has been what drives him to make his coffee.

A lot of people go to Urth to drink organic coffee.   However, few know the story behind where this coffee comes from. Most organic coffee is grown in 3^rd world countries.  Shallom not only gets his coffee from these 3^rd world countries, he also travels there to teach the farmers how to properly make organic coffee.  Every plant requires sunlight in order for them to grow.  However, coffee trees are unique because they require a lot of shade in order to grow, which is why they are grown in the rain forests. The organic coffee that comes in to the Urth Caffe is regularly inspected to ensure that there are no chemical preservatives in them. Although organic coffee is more expensive then your average cup of coffee, the passion and the work that goes into making this coffee will result in better conditions for the farmers and better coffee for the customers.

            In 1989, Urth Caffe opened up its first branch in Hollywood, California.  Since then the company’s popularity has continued to grow steadily. Urth Caffe is now the number one coffee cafe in Los Angeles. When I asked my sister about how popular Urth was, she told me that Urth is always packed with customers.  Every time she goes there, there is a line that goes out the door. She is constantly waiting in a long line just to get a cup of coffee.

            There are a wide variety of customers that go to the Urth Caffe. When I was talking to Shallom, I asked him what types of customers come into his shop.  He told me that almost everyone comes into his shop.  He said that every type of person comes to Urth Caffe to enjoy a cup of coffee. This place is great for everyone as it is one of the few places where you don’t feel like you are wasting your time waiting in a line for their coffee.  Urth has become so popular that even celebrities have dropped in over the years. Recently, Jessica Alba and Eva Longoria stopped by for a cup of coffee.  In addition to celebrity appearances, television shows, like Entourage, are also shot at Urth.

            Urth Caffe has the prime location for a café; being located on the cross streets of Melrose and La Cienga, which are two very well known streets in Hollywood. The prime location has helped Urth increase its popularity over the years. In my opinion, location is a key thing for a business’ success as it can attract attention to the business.  Urth has done an excellent job of utilizing their location to do that.  In addition, Urth has a good product which is absolutely essential to becoming a well known company.  The quality of its product has been demonstrated by the number of times it has been featured in many websites and newspapers.  Urth Cafe has even become a 4-star restaurant. The success of this small and local café is staggering.

            I never knew that there was such an intriguing story behind the rise of Urth’s organic coffee. The hard work and dedication that Shallom put towards running his coffee company is very admirable. When I first went to Urth Caffe I did not have high expectations for it, but a sip of that first drink, I immediately changed that.  Since then Urth Cafe has been my favorite coffee shop. This coffee, is no ordinary coffee, Urth has set itself apart from the competition and has become the best café in Los Angeles.

Berksan, Shallom “Urth Cafe”. Urth Café Inc., 2003. http://www.urthcaffe.com/privacy.html

Berksan, Shallom. Personal interview. 22 June 2011

Quiseng, Taja. Personal Interview 22 June 2011