A major Third Space cafe will close its Inglewood flagship

Sip & Sonder, one of Los Angeles' top cafes that has launched a renaissance of similar Black-owned cafes throughout the region, will permanently close its flagship location in downtown Inglewood on Wednesday.

Founded in 2018 by Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas, the spacious, sun-filled coffeehouse has become an essential community gathering spot, serving house-roasted espresso in brews that spotlight Black culture, like the Cardi Rose Latte, named after hip-hop artist Cardi B. Beyond its coffee program, Sip & Sonder is a thriving creative hub that hosts artist residencies, coffee education workshops, pitch competitions for emerging black businesses, and jazz evenings frequently attended 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 popular neighborhood cafe.

“I wrote half of my dissertation here during my doctoral studies,” one person wrote.

Someone else shared, “When I was homeless, I came here every day to write applications on my laptop. 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 craft workshops at the cafe, wrote in a separate Instagram post: “At Sip & Sonder you were never pressured to buy drinks. You were allowed to relax and take up space. … At Sip & Sonder you felt like you had a place where you could just… be.”

Thomas called the closure a “deep, personal devastation” and said it has been difficult to maintain a brick-and-mortar presence in L.A. in recent years – particularly in 2025 – due to a number of factors such as rising rents, labor costs and slower consumer spending. Ultimately, she and Nicholas decided to close the flagship to ensure the future of the brand.

Sip & Sonder's coffee kiosk remains open outside of the Music Center in downtown LA and coffee beans can be purchased online.

“There is so much potential for what Sip & Sonder can continue to do,” Thomas said, adding that the outpouring of support proves “there is a need.”

Nicholas and Thomas became friends while working as lawyers for the same firm and often met in local cafes. Given the lack of similar spaces in the environments they grew up and lived in, the two decided to partner and create Sip & Sonder, with a focus on highlighting sustainable and traceable coffee from communities of color around the world.

Considered a long-standing hub of LA's black community, Inglewood was deliberately chosen as a flagship location, particularly as nearby SoFi Stadium nears completion and is sparking new interest from developers in the area. As the neighborhood changed — including the closing of nearby Salt Eaters bookstore earlier this year — Sip & Sonder became an important third spot.

“It’s nice to see how our relationship with the community has developed and grown,” Thomas said. “I went back to when I started my coffee journey and felt like an outsider in coffee shops and wanted to see people that looked like me. … The agency we need to create drinks and profiles that speak to our community, that was a highlight.”

When the pandemic forced the cafe to temporarily close in 2020, Nicholas and Thomas switched to an in-house roasting program and began offering their own blends for retail. As the two owners prepare to close the Inglewood location, they are changing again.

“I lean toward change,” Thomas said. “While our flagship is closing, we want everyone to continue to join us on our journey as we evolve, change and move into new areas. There is great power in simply continuing to advocate for the company.”

Thomas hopes to maintain Sip & Sonder's presence in Inglewood and the broader South LA region and is currently exploring the various opportunities that may arise.

“Our Inglewood story has shown the need and all the amazingness that such a space can bring,” she said. “So how do we do this in a sustainable way? And not necessarily just for the Sip & Sonder brand, but actually for the community.”