by Jeroslyn JoVonn
January 16, 2026
Harun Espresso initially closed in 2023.
Harun Espresso has returned to Los Angeles’ historic Leimert Park Village after Group Labs stepped in to assist stem the wave of closures amongst minority-owned companies within the historically Black neighborhood.
On Jan. 9, Harun Espresso celebrated its grand reopening, drawing an extended line of locals practically three years after its 2023 closure, the Los Angeles Occasions reviews. Led by Group Labs, based by Prophet Walker and Cheron Corridor, the agency has been working to assist and protect the legacy of underrepresented communities.
“We’re one a part of a extremely highly effective motion to pour into this neighborhood to create business revitalization and exquisite areas the place we are able to establish ourselves,” Corridor mentioned.
Opened in 2019 by veteran leisure government Chace Johnson, Harun shortly turned a hub for artists, entrepreneurs, and tastemakers earlier than closing in 2023 as a result of operational challenges.
Now, via a partnership with Group Labs, the espresso store has been fully reimagined to mix speakeasy vibes with purposeful artwork, together with a bi-level desk and spool stools by designer Shin Okuda.
Visitors enter by pulling open a canary-yellow wall disguised as a merch show. By day, it’s a spot for informal dialog; by night time (6–11 p.m., it transforms right into a hub for Black social justice, poetry, politics, and efficiency, honoring the historic function of coffeehouses in Black tradition.
“The thought for us to remain open till 11 o’clock at night time actually got here from learning espresso actions in Black communities and what it meant to us within the civil rights period,” Johnson mentioned “Quite a lot of our espresso outlets flourished at night time, the place individuals had an opportunity to assemble collectively and discuss whether or not they have been going to be protesting and exchanging concepts.”
The reopening of Harun Espresso is a part of Group Labs’ revitalization work in Leimert Park. The agency has funded and suggested on different initiatives the upscale Lore bookstore subsequent door to Harun Espresso, and the spacious Ora Cafe throughout the road on Degnan Boulevard. Corridor calls the world a “gold mine of tradition, neighborhood, and creativity,” noting that the roughly $300,000 invested within the espresso store is small in contrast with its potential impression.
“Once we take a look at business property and small companies, all of these items revolve round and are anchored by that cultural vibrancy,” Corridor mentioned. “Mandate primary is how can we protect and defend that as we develop.”
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