South La Cafe

What South La Cafe does

South LA Cafe is a Black-owned, family-owned community coffee shop, grocery market, and cultural center operating in South Central Los Angeles. Founded by Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace, a married couple who grew up nearby and lived for decades in a documented food desert, the business operates five cafe locations across South LA (Vermont, Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Exposition/Browning) and a dedicated grocery store, South LA Market, at 3991 S Western Ave #9A. The company sells coffee, food, and groceries at the physical locations; coffee beans and branded merchandise (t-shirts, hoodies, caps) through a Shopify e-commerce storefront; and catering for events. Pricing on disclosed products ranges from $19.50 coffee, $28 caps, and $35 t-shirts up to $48 hoodies, with a $50 grocery sponsorship feeding a family of four. Beyond retail, the company runs a monthly membership program, a volunteer program, and grocery sponsorship/donation flows channeled partly through its affiliated 501(c)(3), the SLAC Foundation. The SLAC Foundation operates the Grocery Giveaway (serving 1,000+ residents weekly and 130,000+ neighbors since June 2020), a Cafe Academy for workforce training, an Entrepreneur Incubator, and an Impact Accelerator, with reported impact stats of 990,000 meals, 33,000 grocery bags, 2,100 COVID tests, and 900 vaccines administered. Its underlying technology stack is minimal: no proprietary AI or platform is disclosed; commerce runs on Shopify and Square, with online ordering via ordersouthlacafe.com. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots events, word-of-mouth, Instagram and Facebook presence, an email newsletter, the 'In The Mix' podcast on YouTube and Spotify, and partnership activations with organizations including the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, Frontline Foods, LABGC, LAFC, Brotherhood Crusader, and Microsoft (via the SLAC Foundation partners page). Revenue is diversified across in-person cafe/market sales, e-commerce merchandise, catering, recurring memberships, and donated grocery sponsorships, with no single enterprise anchor customer identified. Headcount is 1-10 employees, reflecting a founder- and volunteer-led operation. The company is privately held and has disclosed one funding event of $150,000 from the California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise in December 2024.

Name

South La Cafe

Legal name

South LA Cafe

Website

https://southlacafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South LA Cafe is a Black-owned, family-owned community coffee shop and grocery market in South Central Los Angeles operating five cafe locations plus a dedicated market to deliver fresh, affordable food to residents of a documented food desert.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cafe and Grocery Market

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Coffee Adjacent Beverage Bars (Chai, Cacao, Alternative Lattes) (THAFAKAH)

Keywords

• Community coffee shop
• Grocery market retail
• Catering services
• Community social enterprise
• Branded coffee merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cafe and Market Sales: In-person sales of coffee, food, and groceries at cafe and market locations. The primary revenue stream from daily operations.
2. E-commerce Merchandise: Online sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, caps, and coffee beans through the Shopify store.
3. Catering and Event Services: Catering services for events, including coffee, pastries, breakfast and lunch options.
4. Membership Program: Monthly membership contributions that support community programs including grocery distribution and workforce development.
5. Grocery Sponsorship: Donations and sponsorship of grocery boxes for food-insecure families in the community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

South La Cafe operates five physical cafe locations in South Central Los Angeles serving coffee, teas, soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastries, alongside the South LA Market community grocery store offering fresh, healthy and affordable produce. The business also offers catering and event booking services, sells branded apparel and equitably sourced whole-bean coffee online, and sustains community-facing programs (grocery giveaways, Cafe Academy workforce training, entrepreneur incubator) via the affiliated 501(c)(3) SLAC Foundation.

Product overview

South LA Cafe is a multi-service community enterprise combining a Black-owned coffee shop, grocery market, cultural center, and online merchandise store. The core offering includes South LA Cafe (the coffee shop and community hub) and South LA Market (the grocery store addressing food deserts). The business operates as a social enterprise with its 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate, the SLAC Foundation, which runs workforce development programs including Cafe Academy, Entrepreneur Incubator, and Impact Accelerator. Additional offerings include catering and event booking services, a membership program, volunteer opportunities, and grocery sponsorship programs. The online store sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, and caps. Coffee products include "For the People" Medium Roast Brazilian Coffee and "King & Western" Decaf Medium Roast Colombian Coffee, both at $19.50. The company also produces the "In The Mix" podcast featuring Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace. The Revolution Business Model™ framework guides their approach to sustainable community development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• In The Mix: Podcast hosted by Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace exploring entrepreneurship, social justice, food inequity, and community building, broadcasting from South Central Los Angeles.

Products and services

• South LA Cafe (Cafe Operations) Black-owned, family-owned community coffee shop serving coffee, teas, soups, salads, sandwiches and pastries across five locations in South Central LA, functioning as a community cultural center.
• South LA Market Community grocery store at 3991 S Western Ave #9A, Los Angeles, providing fresh, healthy, and affordable produce in a food desert, also serving as the headquarters for the weekly grocery giveaway feeding over 1,000 local residents.
• Catering Services Catering service for corporate events, private events, and special occasions, featuring coffee, pastries, breakfast and lunch options sourced from South LA Cafe.
• Event Booking Event booking service for community gatherings and private events held at South LA Cafe locations.
• Membership Program Monthly membership contribution program through which supporters fund community programs at South LA Cafe, including living wages, workforce development, and second-chance employment opportunities.
• Sponsor Groceries Program Program allowing community members to sponsor grocery boxes ($50 feeds a family of 4) for food-insecure families, with donations routed through the SLAC Foundation.
• "For the People" Medium Roast Brazilian Coffee Hand-crafted, equitably sourced premium whole coffee beans from Brazil, medium roast, best brewed for espresso, drip and pour over; priced at $19.50.
• "King & Western" Decaf Medium Roast Colombian Coffee Hand-crafted, equitably sourced premium whole coffee beans from Colombia, decaf medium roast, best brewed for espresso, drip and pour over; priced at $19.50.
• South LA Cafe Hoodie Classic and soft hoodie branded with South LA Cafe identity, priced at $48.
• South LA Cafe Cap Classic South LA Cafe snapback cap for everyday wear, priced at $28.
• South LA Cafe Classic T-Shirt Classic South LA Cafe branded 100% cotton t-shirt available in sizes S-XXL in black, priced at $35.
• South Central T-Shirt 100% cotton tee featuring Old English font representing South Central LA culture.
• Black & Brown Unity T-Shirt Unisex essential t-shirt featuring a crew neck, short sleeves, and superior combed and ring-spun cotton, representing Black and Brown unity, priced at $35.
• South Central Hoodie 100% cotton hoodie representing South Central LA culture, priced at $45.
• South LA Cafe Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase, redeemable across South LA Cafe locations for any products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130,000+ neighbors provided with food since June 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• MicrosoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft logo appears in South LA Community Partners section on SLAC Foundation page, indicating some level of partnership or support.
• SLAC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of South LA Cafe. Works in partnership with the cafe to fight racial, economic, social, and food inequity through three pillars: Empowering Families, Creating Community, and Building Economy. Distributes groceries, runs workforce training, and hosts community programs.
• Frontline FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting food distribution and community programs.
• LABGC (Los Angeles Black Golf Club)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization listed in South LA Cafe Partners section.
• LAFC (Los Angeles Football Club)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization listed in South LA Cafe Partners section.
• Brotherhood CrusaderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization listed in South LA Cafe Partners section.
• Natural History Museums of Los Angeles CountymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth LA Cafe has a location at the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park. Featured in the museum's 'L.A. Culture in a Cup' year-long project celebrating LA's diverse beverage traditions and cultural gathering spots.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Café Réveille: Multi-location community-focused cafe in the LA area serving specialty coffee, food, and acting as neighborhood gathering spaces. Comparable in operating model of running multiple cafe storefronts as community anchors in a single metro.
• Verve Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and multi-location cafe operator with strong brand identity and direct-to-consumer e-commerce for beans and merchandise. Comparable as a specialty coffee brand combining cafes, roasting, and Shopify-style merchandise.
• Go Get Em Tiger: LA-based specialty coffee roaster and multi-location cafe operator. Directly comparable as a Los Angeles specialty coffee brand operating multiple physical cafe locations with a strong brand and design-forward retail experience.
• Sip & Sonder: Black-owned, community-focused coffee shop and cultural hub founded in Inglewood, CA. Closest peer to South LA Cafe in terms of Black-owned community cafe model in the LA metro with a mission-driven, neighborhood-anchored operating approach.
• Alfred Coffee: Los Angeles-based specialty coffee operator with multiple cafe locations and a strong Instagram-driven brand. Comparable as a multi-unit LA specialty cafe brand with e-commerce merchandise.

Broad incumbents

• Philz Coffee: Mission-driven specialty coffee chain with a focus on community and customer relationships. Comparable in mission-led brand positioning and multi-unit cafe model, though at significantly larger scale.
• Blue Bottle Coffee: Large, well-capitalized specialty coffee company with cafe locations, online coffee subscription, and merchandise. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the multi-location specialty coffee + DTC merchandise space, though serving more affluent markets.
• Bluestone Lane: Multi-unit specialty coffee and cafe operator with a strong community-gathering brand identity. Comparable in operating a chain of cafes positioned as neighborhood community spaces.

Emerging players

• Cafe Con Leche: Los Angeles-based specialty coffee shop with a community and culture focus. Comparable as a smaller emerging LA coffee brand with community-anchored positioning, though without the grocery market or nonprofit arm.
• Equiano Coffee: Black-founded specialty coffee company with DTC e-commerce. Comparable as a Black-owned coffee brand combining cultural identity with retail/DTC sales, though focused on grocery/retail distribution rather than cafe operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@southlacafe
• Instagraminstagram.com/southlacafe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-la-cafe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South La Cafe