Meet Steph Kim-Hoffman And David Hoffman | Founders | Slow Beginnings Coffee – SoCal Coffee Cart Catering

We had the good fortune of connecting with Steph Kim-Hoffman And David Hoffman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steph Kim-Hoffman and David, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started Slow Beginnings Coffee with the goal of creating a more intentional and elevated coffee cart experience in Los Angeles and Orange County. Like many in specialty coffee, I initially thought I would open a brick-and-mortar coffee shop, but I quickly fell in love with the flexibility and creativity of a mobile coffee bar – being able to serve at weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings while connecting with different communities. I’ve always been passionate about hospitality and specialty coffee; growing up, I spent a lot of time exploring independent cafes across LA + Southern California, which shaped how I think about coffee as both a craft and an experience. With Slow Beginnings Coffee, the goal is to bring warmth back into coffee culture through intentional hospitality, a welcoming presence, and a high standard for quality. We aim to offer a premium mobile coffee bar experience for premium events that feels both elevated and personal.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Slow Beginnings Coffee is a luxury coffee cart and mobile coffee catering service in Southern California, serving both Los Angeles and Orange County. We specialize in weddings, corporate events, brand activations, baby showers, birthdays, and private parties, with a focus on quality and hospitality. What sets us apart is our commitment to originality; all syrups are house-made, and our menu features signature drinks like the Miso Caramel Latte, Pistachio Almond Cream Latte, and Strawberry Yuzu Soda. We are also highly focused on efficiency and guest experience. Our workflow is designed to serve drinks quickly at high-volume events without compromising quality, making us a reliable choice for efficient coffee catering. From Simi Valley to Riverside to Irvine, we bring a premium, memorable mobile coffee bar to every occasion.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’d start with breakfast at Woon in Pasadena for something warm and comforting, then grab coffee and pastries at Hello You’re Welcome. After that, we’d head to Endorffeine in Chinatown for an espresso and take a walk through the Los Angeles River for a slower moment to reset. For lunch, we’d grab burritos from Sonoratown in DTLA before exploring pockets of Northeast LA; walking around Echo Park Lake and Highland Park, grabbing dandan noodles from Joy, and stopping by Thank You Coffee for a jasmine buckwheat latte. We’d take a hike in the San Gabriel Mountains and end the day with dinner in Koreatown (probably at Hanbat Sulungtang) or a spot in Silver Lake with a cozy atmosphere where we can unwind. We’d also want to show them the beaches of OC, hanging in Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, and showing them around the Orange Circle and Costa Mesa. It’s a mix of great food, quality coffee, and walking through our favorite parts of the city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We’d love to give a shoutout to our friends and family, who have supported us unconditionally from the very beginning. They’ve shown up for us time and time again; whether it was helping at events, spreading the word, or simply encouraging us as we built our coffee cart business in Southern California. I’d also love to shout out Mandarin Coffee Stand in Pasadena, CA; my time working there really shaped my approach to drink quality and hospitality. I learned that even in a high-volume environment, you can still be intentional and maintain excellence. I’d also like to recognize my former manager at Copa Vida Pasadena, who pushed me to grow and develop confidence in my abilities. Finally, we want to recognize all the event planners, coordinators, and venues who have trusted us with their high-stakes activations. Bringing a mobile coffee bar into a fast-paced event requires a lot of coordination, and the collaborative spirit of the event industry in Los Angeles and Orange County has been a major part of our growth.

Website: https://www.slowbeginningscoffee.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slowbeginningscoffee/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/slow-beginnings-coffee-los-angeles

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