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Caffe Luxxe in Montecito (Photos: Alicia Cho)
By Lauren Bray
Artisanal coffee roaster Caffe Luxxe, based in Los Angeles’ westside, is making their Santa Barbara County debut with a location at the Montecito Country Mart.
Owners and best friends Mark Wain and Gary Chau opened their first Santa Monica cafe in 2006 after quitting their corporate jobs to build a dream of owning a local neighborhood cafe. Their goal has been to guide people to discover what fine coffee could taste like, encouraging them to turn off their technology for a moment and be present to socialize with family and friends. They now have six operational locations including Montecito.
“There’s an atmosphere about Montecito that’s so essentially California, yet charmingly unique. It’s a sense of approachable luxury, which is exactly the sentiment behind why we started Caffe Luxxe: to offer the highest quality espresso and coffee, with a friendly, genuine attitude,” said Wain.
The 1028 Coast Village Road location will offer free cappuccinos and americanos to the public during their official grand opening on Saturday, May 11 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Northern Italian-style espresso cafe is simultaneously launching their custom limited edition “Montecito Blend” whole bean coffee.
The owners were inspired by the well-balanced and crisp climate of the Central Coast’s rolling hills and the neighborhood’s serene and welcoming atmosphere creating this medium-bodied coffee blend. Beans are sourced from Guatemala and Brazil and hand-roasted in small batches at Caffe Luxxe’s Il Laboratorio roasting facility.
Caffe Luxxe also manages a wholesale business, creating coffee programs for farm-to-table- and sustainability-focused restaurants, including Santa Barbara’s own Lilac Patisserie.
For more information visit caffeluxxe.com.
