Monolith Coffee is Building Something Different in Los Angeles
Daria Toptygina| July 28, 2026 Drinks inside the Monolith Coffee bar in Los Angeles. Photo by Ariel Ip, courtesy of Monolith Coffee. (@lastname.ip) Husband-and-wife co-founders Nikki Jin and Eli Wang openedMonolith Coffeeearlier this year in Alhambra, California, bringing house-roasted coffees and an elaborate seasonal drink concept into a space built around stone, openness and experimentation. “Monolith Coffee began with a simple idea: a genuine love for coffee and a desire to create something of our own,” Wang recently told Daily Coffee News. Photo by Ariel Ip, courtesy of Monolith Coffee. (@lastname.ip) The cream-toned interior and stone finishes reinforce the shop’s name. Rocks of various hues and sizes hang from the ceiling, form the bases of tables, sit within counters and fill small interior gardens. Stone imagery also appears on Monolith’s coffee packaging. “One of our goals from the beginning was to create a space that felt genuinely different from anything else in the greater SGV area,” said Wang. “We never approached the project by asking what a coffee shop was supposed to look like. We believe that no type of business should be confined to a predetermined layout or aesthetic.” A substantial portion of the floor plan is dedicated to the bar, while the open layout gives customers a clear view of drinks being prepared. Photo by Ariel Ip, courtesy of Monolith Coffee. (@lastname.ip) All the coffees for the shop are roasted by Wang on either aStrongholdS7X machine or a newly addedStronghold S8Xmachine. Wang also oversees green coffee sourcing, turning to boutique traders such as Panamanian coffee specialistPanda Bear ExpressandHacea Coffee Source. At the cafe, those coffees support an experimental seasonal drink and food menu led by Jin called “In Four Movements,” a concept inspired by four-movement musical compositions. The movements, or “chapters,” succeed one another seasonally in an ongoing
Daria Toptygina| July 28, 2026 Drinks inside the Monolith Coffee bar in Los Angeles.
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