In between Classic Thai Restaurant and Games and Cards Superstore on Colorado Boulevard lies Loop Espresso Club, which reopened in August. According to employee Katrina Pace, Loop Espresso’s new location is only a few blocks east of where the coffee shop was originally located for roughly nine months.
“[Loop Espresso] was open from March to November 2025,” Pace said. “There was a landlord dispute, so we had to leave […] but our owner wanted to reopen.”
Dominic Abat owns and operates both Loop Espresso Club and Kissa Corazón, which both offer distinct styles of coffee. According to their respective websites, Loop Espresso offers a Tokyo-inspired espresso bar, while Kissa Corazón, located in Chinatown on North Spring Street, is a modern coffee shop during the day and a speakeasy bar at night. During the day, Kissa offers a place to slow down and unwind, serving drip coffee and pastries to patrons. At night, the coffee shop turns into a rhythmic space, providing jazz music and drinks.
When comparing Loop Espresso to Kissa Corazón, Pace said Loop Espresso serves as a space where people can come together and indulge in conversation. According to Pace, Kissa Corazón strives to have a tranquil environment where people can keep to themselves.
“Compared to Kissa Corazón, Loop has a more wide-open space, so it’s really easy to meet up with people,” said Pace.
According to barista Kyle Best, the aspect of Loop Espresso that sets it apart from its competitors is the espresso it offers — the base espresso sets an elevated coffee standard for all of Loop’s drinks.
“We have a wide variety [of drinks] that can appeal to everyone,” Best said. “If you’re not a coffee drinker, if you like matcha or tea, there’s [still] something here for everybody.”
According to Pace, Loop Espresso offers a vibrant energy that welcomes everybody. Loop Espresso continues to be a place where old friends run into each other and new friendships are made, Pace said.
“We just strive to have a space where everybody can feel welcome,” Pace said. “Whether they would like to come by themselves and just get a good cup of coffee, read books, draw or catch up with their friends.”
According to Esmee Paulsen (junior), Loop Espresso is an easy and accessible place for students to visit in their free time. Paulsen said Loop Espresso offers a great environment for students when seeking a place to work off-campus.
“It’s probably about a 15 to 20 minute walk away from campus,” said Paulsen. “But I think that if you wanna settle down and do work for a long time, it is definitely worth the walk.”
Paulsen said Loop Espresso, unlike other coffee shops in the surrounding area, has a warm and cozy atmosphere, which creates a friendlier environment.
“I feel like the theme of coffee shops here [in LA is] open spaces, so this was kind of refreshing to see, especially in LA,” said Paulsen.
According to Paulsen, the workers were all incredibly friendly, which elevated the experience.
“I thought the atmosphere was super comfortable, and the employees were very enthusiastic and super kind,” said Paulsen. “I could tell they definitely enjoyed working there.”
According to Best, Loop Espresso caters to everyone, from people who need a study getaway to coffee critics. Best said it strives to create good coffee that customers are guaranteed to enjoy.
According to Paulsen, the chocolate latte she ordered was delicious, and the experience was positive.
“I’ll definitely be settling down and doing some work there again,” said Paulsen.
Contact Brynn Begley at begley@oxy.edu
