As CMF Hollywood preparation began, a handful of our staff found ourselves at the local Costco in an effort to stock up on the goods that get us through the weekend. I’ve never seen so many different types of granola bars on one table. The final piece of the puzzle was my personal vice: the coffee. Last year, we battled it out with a Keurig machine; let’s just call it my kryptonite. The end result was one of practicality and simplicity (at least so we thought). This morning when I woke up, the Keurig machine was sat up and the hot water was flowing like the tears down my cheek. I sent a frantic tweet out to Handsome Coffee, per the recommendation of my friend Laura from San Francisco:

And minutes later, this response came through:

An email, a phone call, and a few text messages later I was shaking hands with Tyler Wells; (@tylerjwells) one of the founders and masterminds behind Handsome Coffee (he formerly worked over at Inteligentsia). The plan was to setup a delivery of a brewing tool and some beans to get us through a few days at our expense, but all expectations were exceeded when they handed over two clever brewers- my personal favorite brewing device, four various coffees that were all roasted just this weekend, and a huge growler of cold brew concentrate.The drive from the Roastery is far from easy, especially in LA morning traffic, but they dropped everything they were doing and delivered all sorts of goods to us with a simple message: “we like what you’re doing here and we’re glad to help”. Mind-blowing.

Handsome Roasters prides itself in three pillars: hospitality, accessibility, and uncompromising quality. The act of kindness taken for us in this social-to-live encounter aligns beautifully to each of these pillars, and I’ve found a new go-to spot in Los Angeles for all things coffee. Another incredible example of the power of social media, the pursuit of collaboration, and the defeat of the K-Cups! This afternoon, we did a side-by-side taste test of Handsome vs. Keurig. It was an indisputable matchup as 100% of  those surveyed preferred the Handsome Coffee. I joyfully disposed of every cup of Keurig coffee in the garbage next to the non-recyclable mess that comes with those cups.

Thank you for your incredible hospitality, Handsome Roasters. If you’re in Los Angeles, be sure to stop by their location at 582 Mateo, Los Angeles, CA. If you aren’t in LA, you can still pick up beans in 21 states or order online. I highly recommend the San Sebastian!