Last year, Matt and Breezy Church, owners of Long Beach, CA java shop, CoffeeDrunk, sought assistance with customizing their La Marzocco Strada AV 2 espresso machine. The couple wanted a distinctive machine to be the focal point of their new shop located on the outskirts of ‘Retro Row’, an area in Long Beach known for its independent coffee shops. Fortunately for them, one of their good friends happens to be Neil Ferrier, the founder of the highly regarded industrial design and manufacturing firm, DISCOMMON. Being familiar with Neil’s work, Matt and Breezy handed over creative control to DISCOMMON knowing that their project was in trusted hands.
It was up to DISCOMMON to come up with a design for the ultimate espresso machine that melded with CoffeeDrunk’s aesthetic – strong, masculine with dark colors and wood accents. The design phase was completed in three months, during which time DISCOMMON presented roughly 25 different designs for the shop’s owners to choose from. Once the design was completed, DISCOMMON turned to La Marzocco customization specialists, Pentechnicon, to manufacture the design. When the finished product was installed at CoffeeDrunk, Ferrier observed, “The La Marzocco espresso machine is the star of the coffee shop; we wanted it to catch the light with multi-faceted paneling, so it looks different from every angle.” Commenting on the addition of the customized espresso machine to their shop, the owners said, “The end result is a memorable space for us and our guests to enjoy.”
While on the subject of java, check out The IMBOLDN Edit: Coffee Makers.