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It was the end of July when Sheridan, owner of Shadow Pies (read my review here), announced that she would be selling her mini-pies at St. J Cyber Cafe. I had never heard of this coffee shop, but something about the retro aesthetic inspired me to drive there on a Saturday afternoon.
Located in East Hollywood just a few blocks off the 101, St. J Cyber Cafe is one of the most unique coffee shops I’ve ever been to in LA. Unless someone tipped you off on it, chances are you would never find out about it. This place is nestled among the Hispanic businesses in the area, sitting very inconspicuously with a simple “coffee” sign on the outside wall.
Thankfully, I got there about 30 minutes before closing time, which was 4 pm. I was immediately thrilled by the abundance of plants, the 90’s TVs and the “melted yarn yang” art pieces.
But that’s not all, there’s also a record store attached to the space, Rubycon Records and Tapes. When I walked into this record store, two people dressed in black leather clothing were browsing through the different vinyls. To top off the 90’s nostalgia, there was an MTV neon sign and more relics from the 90’s including random monitors.
Since that visit, I have been back a few times and the atmosphere never ceases to amaze me. Owners Joseph Bellows and Crystal Hernandez, originally from Austin TX, opened St. J Cyber Cafe in the beginning of 2020. Rubycon Records and Tapes, despite being in the same space as St. J Cyber Cafe, is not run by Joseph and Crystal.
In this day and age, where people are sucked into their phone screens more than ever, but Joseph and Crystal aim to create a community, fostering real-life connections.
They wanted to create a business with purpose where people could hit their full stride in terms of creativity. Joseph was a former creative director of SHED Barbershop in Austin, and Crystal has a master’s in fine art, as well as an impressive resumé that includes a background in fashion and working in galleries in NYC. They both clearly have good an eye for design because they magnificently curated the kind of nostalgic experience they want people to have when they walk in.
If you were born in the early 90’s, you may remember going to a cyber cafe in your childhood. In the early days of PC’s, many families still didn’t have one, so cyber cafes were the only way to ‘surf’ the internet. Also, remember those days when someone made a phone call and the internet got disconnected? Today, the concept of a cyber cafe is alien for people under 20. But cyber cafes, besides providing Internet on a desktop station and an occasional cup of coffee or beverage, were places for socialization. I’m so happy that Joseph and Crystal have translated the essence of a 90’s cyber cafe into their coffee shop.
St. J Cyber Cafe combines art, events, and of course, coffee. It’s a place where you feel like you’ll belong no matter what your background is, a space where creatives and free-thinkers unite.
Enjoy your drink while perusing the space and browsing their apparel, merch, and old records from Rubycon Records and Tapes. Work on your laptop while drinking one of their outstanding beverages. Their lattes are all amazing, but one of their signature drinks is their lavender matcha, which I haven’t tried yet, but hopefully soon!
They also host pop-ups for vendors to sell their goods, again, fostering that sense of community. They aim to build relationships with food vendors, local roasters, clothing brands, and LA-based national and international artists.
I have already talked about Just What I Kneaded a few times on this blog. It’s my favorite bakery in LA, 100% vegan. I was delighted when the owner, Justin Hernández announced on her IG she would be dropping a few of her pastries there. It’s nice that I don’t have to drive all the way to Frogtown if I’m in the mood for one of her pastries. I can just go to SAINT J.
Both times I went there, Joseph, the owner, was there. Something that struck me about him was how different his customer service was from most coffee shops in LA. It was a more personal barista-customer interaction, which makes sense given their mission.
Josh Miranda is the graphic designer of St. J Cyber Cafe. He’s the creator of their logo and their visually appealing graphic designs using the dot matrix font, which are definitely a blast from the past.
St. J Cyber Cafe is not that big, but something about the atmosphere, the energy, the tinge of nostalgia makes it a place you’ll definitely want to come back to.
Address: 4852 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Online store website here
Here’s a mini interview I did with Joseph via Instagram!
When did you move to LA? How different is LA from Austin?
We’ve been in LA for 3 years. LA is so much bigger, so many more people doing different things and new people to meet every day.
What are your favorite places in LA?
Barnsdall Art Park, the beach and the beach.
What about your favorite restaurants?
We spend all of our time in Koreatown: The Prince, HMS bounty and Dan Sung Sa. Also Marouch Restaurant (Lebanese), which is right by our coffee shop.
What do you like about living in LA?
The weather.
What was the inspiration behind the TVs?
They were part of a larger installation by @slimreaperlightshow (artist) and we also use the space for photoshoots, music videos and other projects. Plus, it’s also a great backdrop for events.
Anything you want to say to future customers that are reading this?
Thank you for coming to check us out. We are always doing fun events and trying to add new drinks and baked goods. Follow us on social media for all the latest.
#blessed @shadow.pies + @stjla
