Topline:
What’s been called one of Los Angeles’ best kept secrets has reopened. The Cosmic Cafe near Mount Wilson Observatory is back in business until November.
Why it matters: The tiny cafe serves up coffee, sandwiches and a view of L.A. at 5,700 feet above the city.
Read on … to find out what it takes to run this remote coffee spot.
You can get coffee every which way nowadays in Los Angeles. But only one spot — we're pretty sure — comes with a twisty, 20-mile-plus haul up the San Gabriels and a singular experience of the city along with that cup of joe.
And the Cosmic Cafe, just a paved pathway from the landmark Mount Wilson Observatory, is "the only place that you can get something to eat for miles around," said Sarah Emery Bunn, director of communications for the observatory and manager of the cafe.
The beloved eatery has reopened for business for the season — on every weekend between now and November — serving coffee, wraps and snacks in a setting unlike any other.
"On a good day, you can see all the way to Catalina. On a medium day you can see downtown for sure. On a cloudy day, we are generally up above the cloud level, so we still get some bright sunny days," Emery Bunn added.
The spot, which Emery Bunn estimated to be around 150 square feet, is smack in the middle of the Pavillion surrounded with picnic tables and 360-degree nature.
Last year, Emery Bunn got the short straw to truck in all the supplies for the cafe's operations.
That means delivering ingredients for hot dogs, chili, chips and drinks from grocery stores on Thursdays. Then making that same haul Saturday mornings for freshly made wraps and salads, plus other goodies, from Little Flower in Pasadena. The coffee is from Java Madre roaster in Sierra Madre.
That journey, clocked from La Cañada Flintridge, took the better part of an hour each way. And Emery Bunn enjoyed every mile of it in her little Fiat 500.
" If you're driving carefully — 40 minutes," said Emery Bunn. "Imagine the tiny backseat of the hatchback filled up with hot dog rolls and mustard packets."
This season, Emery Bunn handed delivery off to another staffer. On any given weekend, three people work the cafe, including to sell merch.
All proceeds go to the operations of the observatory. Emery Bunn said all the challenges of running a small food business in Los Angeles apply to operating the Cosmic Cafe. But its remote location poses extra considerations.
"Our traffic is very unpredictable," she said, adding that customer turnout is heavily weather-dependent. " But when it's a good day, boy is it a good day."
And the commute sometimes makes hiring difficult.
"When you get somebody who loves it, they're happy to do it," Emery Bunn said. But, "that drive is not for everyone."
But for her and many others, the experience never gets old.
" It's a treasure. It's almost a secret. Not a lot of people know about it," she said. "You get up there and you can't believe that something this magical and historic is pretty much right in your backyard."
Cosmic Cafe
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekend until November.
Menu: Chili dogs, turkey wraps and much more here.
For hikers: Some areas in the Angeles National Forest are closed due to the Eaton Fire, including parts of Mt. Wilson Trail. Updates here.