One of the best coffee shops in Los Angeles that led a renaissance of similar Black-owned spots across the region, Sip & Sonder will permanently close its flagship location in downtown Inglewood on Wednesday.
Founded in 2018 by Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas, the spacious, sun-lit coffee house became an essential community gathering space, serving house-roasted espresso in brews that center Black culture, like the Cardi Rose latte that’s named after hip-hop artist Cardi B. Beyond its coffee program, Sip & Sonder is a thriving creative hub, hosting artist residencies, coffee education workshops, pitch competitions for burgeoning Black businesses and jazz nights frequented by legendary musician Stevie Wonder.
The closure was announced in an Instagram post on Friday, with locals taking to the comments to mourn the loss of the beloved neighborhood coffee shop.
“I wrote half of my dissertation here during my doctorate program,” one person posted.
Someone else shared, “When I was homeless I came here to do job applications on my laptop every day. Sometimes I had money for coffee, sometimes I didn’t, but I did my Zoom interview here and got my job. This place never kicked me out and treated me right. This place saved me.”
Sharla Berry, a regular customer who hosted crafting workshops at the coffee shop, wrote in a separate Instagram post, “At Sip & Sonder, you were never pressured about buying drinks. You were allowed to chill, to take up space. … Sip & Sonder made you feel like you had a place where you could just … be.”
Thomas called the closure a “deep, personal devastation,” and said it’s been difficult to maintain a brick-and-mortar presence in L.A. for the past few years — particularly in 2025 — due to a range of factors such as rising rent, labor costs and slower consumer spending. Ultimately, she and Nicholas decided to close the flagship in order to preserve the future of the brand.
Sip & Sonder’s coffee kiosk remains open outside of the Music Center in downtown L.A., with coffee beans available for purchase online.
“There’s so much potential for what Sip & Sonder can continue to do,” Thomas said, adding that the outpouring of support proves that “there’s a need.”
Nicholas and Thomas became friends while working as lawyers for the same firm, and would often meet in local coffee shops. Reflecting on the lack of similar spaces in the environments where they were raised and lived, the pair decided to partner and launch Sip & Sonder, with a focus on spotlighting sustainable and traceable coffee sourced from communities of color around the world.
Regarded as the long-standing nexus of L.A.’s Black community, Inglewood was intentionally selected for the flagship location, especially with nearby SoFi Stadium nearing its completion and bringing renewed interest from developers to the area. As the neighborhood underwent changes — including the closure of nearby Salt Eaters bookstore earlier this year — Sip & Sonder became a vital third space.
“It’s beautiful to see how our relationship with the community has evolved and grown,” Thomas said. “I put myself back to when I was starting my journey with coffee and felt like an outsider in coffee shops, and wanting to see people that look like me. … The agency we have to be able to create drinks and profiles that speak to our community, that’s been a highlight.”
When the pandemic forced the coffee shop to temporarily close in 2020, Nicholas and Thomas shifted to an in-house roasting program and began offering their own blends for retail purchase. As the two owners prepare to close the Inglewood location, they’re pivoting once again.
“I’m leaning into change,” Thomas said. “While our flagship is closing, we want everyone to continue to be on the journey with us as we evolve, as we change and as we move into new areas. There’s power in just continuing to champion the business.”
Thomas hopes to maintain Sip & Sonder’s presence in Inglewood and the broader South L.A. region and is currently exploring the different ways that could take shape.
“Our Inglewood story has shown the need, and all the amazingness that can come from a space like that,” she said. “So how do we create that in ways that are sustainable? And not necessarily just for the Sip & Sonder brand, but actually for the community.”
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