Kopê House Opens in Hayes Valley with Innovative Coffee Creations

Kopê House, a new café located at 546 Laguna St. in San Francisco's Hayes Valley, officially opened its doors on July 5. The café, founded by Jared Hallinan, Alex Ji, and Carlos Lewis, offers a variety of unique coffee beverages, including a passion fruit cappuccino priced at $7. This drink is inspired by the passion fruit-chocolate donut from Dynamo Donut, a local favorite.

The café features a range of other inventive drinks, such as the 'Short and Sweet,' an iced espresso with red bean puree and amaranth cherry, topped with cherry blossom powder. Another creative offering is the 'Carlito,' an espresso tonic infused with Thai tamarind, piloncillo, cilantro syrup, and lime zest.

In addition to these specialty drinks, Kopê House provides a selection of traditional espresso options, including cortados ($4.75), lattes ($5.75), and espresso tonics ($6). The café also serves pour overs made with single-origin beans from renowned international roasters like Dak in Copenhagen and Tanat in Paris. These pour overs are available in six- and 12-ounce sizes, all priced under $10 to encourage customers to explore new flavors.

Kopê House also offers a retail section with specialty beans and its own house blend, a mix of Colombian and Ethiopian coffees roasted by RoastCo. in Oakland. This blend is noted for its sweet, chocolate-forward profile with a hint of acidity.

The co-owners met while working at Blue Bottle Coffee and have previously operated pop-up cafés around San Francisco. Their new permanent location in Hayes Valley follows a successful residency with York Street Collective.

Despite delays in opening due to the conversion of a former flower shop into the café space, the owners are enthusiastic about their contribution to the local coffee scene. Hallinan expressed optimism about Kopê House becoming a neighborhood staple, especially in an area known for its popular restaurants but lacking standout coffee venues.