URTH FIRST
Urth Caffé first opened with a singular focus: to preserve age-old coffee tradition and serve the best beans to like-minded locals. A grassroots groundswell brought them into the big-time—and to Wynn Plaza.
Urth Caffé的開店初衷很簡單：保留古老的咖啡傳統，為志同道合的本地咖啡愛好者提供質量最好的咖啡豆。由於受到平民階層的廣泛喜愛，它一路發展擴張，還來到Wynn Plaza(永利廣場)開設分店。 Urth Caffé first opened with a singular focus: to preserve age-old coffee tradition and serve the best beans to like-minded locals. A grassroots groundswell brought them into the big-time—and to Wynn Plaza. Jilla和Shallom Berkman當年遇到一位製作有機原生品種咖啡的秘魯咖啡農，種植的咖啡樹從未歷經基因改造，他們二人深受吸引，由此萌生靈感， 1991年在曼哈頓海灘開設了Urth Caffé，目標非常簡單，就是想在洋溢加州健康生活氛圍的地方，把這些原生品種咖啡豆介紹給大家。Shallom說：「當時我們沒有長期種植的打算，也沒有計劃過開第一間店之後要做什麼。」但後來Urth Caffé變得非常受歡迎，顧客人龍經常排到對面街道。Berkman夫婦只好考慮開分店的事情，一步步在西荷里活、比華利山莊、聖塔莫尼卡、帕薩迪納和洛杉磯市中心都開了分店。這股南加州熱潮繼續擴散，過去三年裡，不僅席捲美國，還通過建立國際合作關係，遠及東京和利雅得。儘管這對夫婦表示從來沒想過能在日本和沙特阿拉伯開分店，但原生品種有機咖啡的吸引力實在是無分地域。他們在Wynn Plaza (永利廣場)開設的這間新店，是美國境內、加州之外的第一間分店。秉承開店初心，店鋪環境卻有新鮮驚喜。Shallom回憶說：「我們的第一間分店只有300平方英尺， 5張凳子，還沒有食物供應。」拉斯維加斯分店推出僅在本店獨家供應的咖啡，以非洲和南美原生種咖啡豆混合製作，還有來自世界各地和拉斯維加斯小啤酒廠以有機、生物動力農法和可持續方式生產的精選葡萄酒和啤酒。在洋溢加州風格的全日菜單上，古麥種麵包等等健康食品佔據著主要位置。店鋪位於Wynn Plaza(永利廣場)中心地帶，按照加州馬里布地區的裝飾傳統，以瓷磚藝術家手工作品裝飾的噴泉圍繞著一棵橄欖樹，噴泉飾以天然綠松石等寶石材質鑲嵌成的海龜及心形圖案，就像Shallom說的：「希望能為顧客帶來加州戶外的美妙感覺。」 A MEETING WITH A COFFEE FARMER FROM PERU WHO MADE organic, heirloom coffee sparked an idea for Jilla and Shallom Berkman, who were attracted to the idea that his coffee trees had never been genetically modified. The couple were so inspired they opened Urth Caffé in Manhattan Beach in 1991, with a simple mission: to give these heirloom beans the attention they deserved, in a space with a healthy California vibe. “We didn’t have a long-term growth plan. We didn’t even plan past the first store,” Shallom says. But then Urth Caffé became incredibly popular, with lines stretching across the street. The Berkmans felt they had no choice but to expand, adding locations in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles. That Southern California sensibility has far-reaching appeal. In the last three years, they have expanded not only within the state, but also to Tokyo and Riyadh, through international partnerships. And while the couple will tell you they were the last to anticipate opening in Japan or Saudi Arabia, the lure of heirloom, organic coffee is universal. The brand new Wynn Plaza location is the company’s first in the United States outside of California, and although the philosophy hasn’t changed, the surroundings certainly have. “Our first branch was a 300-square-foot store with only five stools and no food,” Shallom says. The Las Vegas location debuts with a coffee blend of African and South American heirloom beans exclusive to Wynn, as well as a select line of organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines and beers from around the world and Las Vegas microbreweries. Ancient-grain breads, among other healthy offerings, feature prominently on the Californiainflected all-day menu. Central to the Wynn Plaza location, an olive tree is surrounded by a fountain crafted by tile artists in the Malibu tradition, incorporating semiprecious stones, including natural turquoise, and with hidden hearts embedded in its surfaces, as Shallom says, “to give the guests the feeling of a lovely Californian outdoor experience.”