Casa Libre opened on Sept. 24 inside Mercado Gonzalez, a sprawling 70,000-square-foot food hall and supermarket in Costa Mesa, California. The new 500-square-foot space includes a dedicated 200-square-foot onsite roastery where guests watch Director of Coffee Steve Cuevas brown exclusively Mexican-grown green coffees through a Loring S15 Falcon machine. This setup places specialty coffee directly within the celebration of Mexican food and culture, offering a distinct alternative to generic cafe chains. I find this integration compelling because it anchors the beverage experience in specific regional origins rather than abstract flavor profiles. The physical location at 2300 Harbor Blvd puts the brand in a high-traffic area that supports its immediate growth strategy.
Roasting with Regional Focus
The launch lineup consists of two coffees from Chiapas and one from Veracruz, all sourced through Covoya. One specific lot comes from Dona Duglas Molina and her family at El Cielo in Villa Corzo, acquired via Covoya’s Cafe Delas program which supports women-led businesses. Cuevas stated that "Casa Libre looks for quality and consistency, but also coffees that demonstrate the diversity of Mexico’s growing regions rather than conforming to a single flavor profile." The team prioritizes distinctive beans from producers they can identify and stand behind. A three-group La Marzocco Linea PB espresso machine anchors the bar alongside Mahlkonig E80 and EK43 grinders. Signature drinks like the El Jaguar latte use corn, cacao, and chile syrup to highlight local flavors. The design uses burgundy tile and gold-accent lighting to create a homey warmth within a structure framed by hacienda-style arches.
Expansion Plans and Brand Origins
Co-founders Natalie Taormina and Jeremy Creighton collaborated with the Gonzalez family to develop the brand around the motto "mi casa es tu casa." Both founders previously ran Common Room Roasters and Freelance Coffee Project, bringing deep expertise in specialty coffee and branding. Taormina noted that the project grew from a shared belief that Mexican coffee deserved greater attention in the U.S. market. While the current operation supplies the cafe and online shop, plans include expanding whole-bean sales into Mercado Gonzalez grocery aisles. Three additional shops are coming soon to Southern California, starting with Stanton this fall. Bellflower and Inglewood locations are scheduled for 2027. The Costa Mesa roastery is intended to support this growth through multiple cafes and sales channels.
