Our Story

Literati Cafe began with a simple desire to create a place where people could gather, think, work, and feel nourished — both mentally and physically.

The café was founded in 2000 by a husband-and-wife team entering a new chapter of life.

As their youngest child prepared to leave for college, they found themselves on the edge of becoming empty nesters. Rather than slow down, they decided to build something meaningful for their community in Brentwood and the surrounding West Los Angeles neighborhood.

The inspiration came from the wife, a writer (with an English degree from UCLA) and lifelong coffee lover who had long admired the café culture of Paris with its cafes where artists, thinkers, and neighbors gather to reconnect, exchange ideas, and find inspiration.

She imagined creating a similar space in her hometown of Los Angeles: a warm, welcoming café where writers, students, and locals could spend hours reading, working, and talking over great coffee and simple, nourishing food.

Her husband, a real estate broker and builder (with a law degree from USC), helped bring that vision to life. Together, the Brentwood-based couple opened Literati Cafe on the corner of Bundy and Wilshire in West Los Angeles, just minutes west of the 405 freeway and north of the 10 highway.

Early on, before opening, the founders sought guidance from the team behind Urth Caffé, learning about organic and sustainable coffee and the value of serving fresh, simple food made with care. Those lessons helped shape the café’s approach from day one, and Literati has proudly served organic coffee and tea ever since.

From the beginning, Literati was designed to be more than just a coffee shop.

Long before “coworking spaces” existed, the café functioned as what many people now call a third place — somewhere between home and the office.

With a writer-inspired atmosphere, strong Wi-Fi, and spaces designed for conversation and quiet work, it quickly became a natural gathering spot for students, writers, freelancers, coworkers, and locals looking for a comfortable place to meet, create, or simply spend time.

In its early years, Literati became known for creative coffee drinks and refreshing mint lemonade, with paparazzi occasionally snapping photos of celebrities in the parking lot. Over time, the menu grew to include hearty breakfasts, fresh salads, sandwiches, and a dinner menu that extended late into the night with a full bar offering beer, wine, and cocktails..

During COVID, the café worked hard to remain open and keep its loyal staff employed. Hours were shortened and the menu was simplified, but it continued to feature the beloved breakfast burritos and tacos, in addition to the highest quality organic coffee and teas that regulars still come for today.

Recently, the café has entered a new chapter, with the couple’s youngest adult child supporting the business to help expand the menu and reintroduce dinner service Thursday through Sunday.

What began as a small café has more than doubled in size over the past 25 years, evolving alongside the neighborhood and the community that supports it.

Like any long-running neighborhood institution, Literati has experienced many chapters. Staff members have come and gone over the years, though some have remained part of the café family for more than two decades, a testament to the sense of community that exists behind the counter as much as at the tables.

If those tables could talk! They have stories of their own.

Over the years, countless screenplays, novels, essays, and ideas have been written at Literati. Students have studied for exams, writers have drafted their first books, and friends have met for conversations that stretch far beyond a single cup of coffee.

The café has even appeared on television shows, including Modern Family, quietly cementing its place in the cultural fabric of the neighborhood.

Today, more than two decades after opening its doors, Literati Cafe remains what it was always meant to be: a family-owned small business welcoming people to gather, work, create, and connect over great coffee and good food.

We are so grateful to still be here, serving you, in the heart of the city we love.