Annexing Sidewalks with Cafe Triste
Date: 08/13/2023
Video and Interview By: Viviana Lira
Video Edit By: Logan Rice
Score By: Levitation Room, Vinyl Williams
Throughout the filming process, an assortment of questions were directed my way. “Is it a wine bar, is it a restaurant?” “Hey I’m outside, is there a list to get in???” “Is it true that they sell Eckhaus Latta wine?” In this exclusive video interview, owners Quinn Kimsey-White and Zach Jarrett invite me behind the scenes to behold the daily operations that ultimately sustain this hybrid business model. With a new wine bar emerging from oblivion every 6 months or so, what does it take to truly generate energetic resonance–and how do you maintain it?
The idea for a ‘Cafe Triste’ precedes even the inception of Echo Park’s beloved Psychic Wines. Originally aiming to do something along those lines over at Psychic, Kimsey-White and Jarrett ran into some obstacles, including the pandemic and a convoluted web of bureaucracy, forcing the duo to solely pursue retail within the residential, hush-hush neighborhood along Bellevue Ave and Occidental Blvd. After a year and a half, Psychic Wines felt well-received and cared for as a retail space and naturally, they became protective of this accomplishment, allowing the shop to grow into its own form.
In 2019, Eckhaus Latta opened its fifth LA store in Chinatown, and it was long-time friend Zoe Latta who would later disclose to Kimsey-White and Jarrett that the neighboring commercial space was available for lease. Reflections were exchanged, deals were made, and Cafe Triste opened its doors in Chinatown on Thursday December 8, of 2022.
As a team, they made very big intentional efforts in the beginning to be an independent business. Being in a developing neighborhood meant that they didn’t have to deal with a landlord who was salivating at the thought of turning the space over to make a ton of money–as such situations unfold on Sunset Blvd or Abbot Kinney. The result has been exceptionally liberating, allowing the duo to work undisturbed, in a space where ideas and aspirations flow in abundance.
