Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The Refinery Brings Ritual Coffee to Downtown Santa Monica
Downtown Santa Monica residents, office workers, and tourists no longer need to leave the Third Street Promenade and trek to Main Street's Espresso Cielo to get a proper cup of coffee. The Refinery started brewing San Francisco's Ritual Coffee three weeks ago, replacing the shuttered EarthBar on 4th and Santa Monica Blvd.
The high-end coffee shop featuring a sleek design is the passion project of owner Jimmy Chang. A former financial consultant, Chang joins the ranks of architect Yeikai Lim of Atwater's Cognoscenti Coffee, and former City National Bank analyst Matt Kang of Scoops Westside in Palms, as professionals who changed careers in order to bring excellent coffee to Angelinos.
“Being a Santa Monica native, I felt it was really important to open The Refinery here,” Chang explains. “As a kid, my family and I loved frequenting the local businesses and being a part of the community. Now that I have a daughter of my own, I want her to share that experience. Like many other Santa Monicans, I have been very excited about the growth of downtown Santa Monica and hope that The Refinery can become a place where we can reconnect and, of course, enjoy some delicious coffee and tea.”
Upon graduating twice from USC (a Bachelors and an MBA), Chang traveled around the country for three years, learning about coffee from top roasters and industry professionals. He learned from Lydia Lannetti at Counter Culture Coffee in North Carolina, Tommy Gallagher at Counter Culture Coffee in New York, Heather Perry at Coffee Klatch in San Bernardino, Aaron van der Groen from Ritual, and Ellie Matuszak, formerly of Coffee Solutions and now a director of SCAA. “It was important to me to go to all of these places and learn these different styles in an effort to find the right blend of techniques to give The Refinery its unique tastes,” says Chang.
Support for LAist comes from
While visiting owners of boutique coffee shops in San Francisco, Chang became friends with Ritual Coffee owner Eileen Hassi. In addition to learning about challenges he might face while opening The Refinery, he also found the beans he wanted to serve. “As I was further defining The Refinery, I really felt that blends at Ritual were the most similar to the tastes that I wanted to create at The Refinery.”
In addition to serving pour-overs of Ritual coffee, The Refinery offers a full espresso menu featuring its new Hydra Synesso machine. “I went to Seattle to meet the whole crew at Synesso and fell in love with the company,” says Chang. “Everyone there was very knowledgeable and as passionate about coffee as me. The Hydra at The Refinery is one of the newest models that has separate bypass valves for each grouphead and allows for pressure profiling. In less technical terms, by varying the amounts of pressure that can be applied to the roasted coffee bean - we are able to maximize the flavor. My Hydra is one of the first in circulation.”
Also on offer at the Refinery is carefully-sourced tea from Five Mountains, pastries from Breadbar, and all of the Hario products you’ll need to start brewing at home. Chang hopes to offer wine tastings once he acquires the necessary license.
Jimmy Chang has done his homework, brings the necessary passion, and after 10 months of red tape, has finally opened the doors of the Refinery. The real question now is if the locals and regular onslaught of tourists can support a boutique coffee shop in downtown Santa Monica. Locals will hopefully discover that the wonderful cappuccinos and lattes are easily worth the extra dollar or two above Starbucks prices, but not everyone is ready to ditch the $1.50 Pike Place roast at Starbucks and treat themselves to a $5 cup of pour-over coffee.
“I want to emphasize how excited and grateful I am to open The Refinery in Santa Monica,” says Chang. “I really hope that The Refinery will add to the vibrancy of downtown Santa Monica. More importantly, I want our customers to feel welcome and enjoy their experience (or re-experience) here.”
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist