IRVINE, Calif., USA – With hybrid work schedules brewing across the US, independent coffee shops have given rise to the “coffice,” and are helping to redefine work-life culture. One of them is KIT Coffee, which is creating a buzz at Centerview at Irvine Concourse, owned by affiliates of EMMES Realty Services of California, LLC (“EMMES”) and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“Oaktree”), and managed by EMMES.
KIT is the latest eatery to make its debut at Centerview, which includes sprawling outdoor areas and award-winning restaurants. The specialty coffee shop joins Porch & Swing, SOL Mexican Cocina, and Maldon’s Bistro at Centerview, and The Goldfinch, Izakaya Osen, and The Trough at adjacent award-winning restaurant pad Eighteen Main.
For Eunice Hwang, owner of KIT Coffee, being at Centerview is helping her local small business flourish and expand, even during an extended pandemic.
“Expanding to Centerview has helped our business remain competitive by allowing us to reach new customers that we have previously never been able to reach and providing them with the same, consistent quality of goods and services,” Hwang said. “Unlike traditional retail spots, it feels like a tight knit community where we can truly get to know our customers and build relationships with them on a daily basis.”
Hwang opened her first KIT Coffee location in Newport Beach, Calif. in 2016, with the goal of providing specialty coffee in a welcoming environment at a space where everyone can “Keep In Touch.”
“We are known for our delicious coffee, but equally known for our avocado toast and breakfast burritos,” she said. “We are definitely working on seasonal drinks and fun food items, including sandwiches and waffles, that we will only be offering at the Irvine location.”
Recent research has shown that specialty and independent coffee shops have continued to grow, even as many chains have shifted their strategies, downsized or closed all together. The global specialty coffee shops market is expected to grow to USD $64.82 billion by 2025. That gives Hwang even more incentive to grow her business at Centerview.
“We believe that smaller coffee shops like KIT Coffee can thrive by making personal connections with the customers,” she said. “Centerview is a perfect place that allows this to happen organically.”
Over the last two years, EMMES has been repositioning Centerview – an award-winning, LEED Platinum property with twin 12-story office buildings in Irvine – as a premier destination, not just for business professionals but also for surrounding communities. In 2021, EMMES completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Centerview plaza, which includes a mix of soft seating, accent furniture and a variety of shade control, including retractable umbrellas and fixed shade elements. The new outdoor amenity provides flexible open spaces for both office tenants and restaurants with fresh air, sunshine, and shade. In addition to the common daytime use, the Centerview plaza is also enhanced with dramatic nighttime accent lighting for extended use and function.
“Centerview has become a unique hub for the community and tenants and an important economic engine for the region that supports several restaurants and other businesses,” said Justin Nguyen, vice president, asset management, EMMES Realty Services of California, LLC. “We view restaurants at Centerview as an extension of our business, as partners of EMMES. They interact with our customers daily and create personal relationships with each of them. KIT Coffee is the perfect example of this, and we are so thrilled to create a longstanding relationship with KIT.”
