A Leap of Faith and a Latte

Aventurero Coffee Carves Out a Third Space in the Heart of the Harbor

In the heart of the Los Angeles Harbor, just off Palos Verdes Drive North and Western Avenue, Aventurero Coffee has become more than just a neighborhood coffee shop — it’s a growing third space reminiscent of the community-centered cafes of decades past.

Of the many coffeehouses I’ve experienced in the Harbor Area, late Saturday mornings at Aventurero come closest to the vibe I once found at Fifth Street Dick’s in the mid-1990s and Sacred Grounds in the 2000s when it stood at the southeast corner of 6th and Mesa.

And that’s no accident.

Aventurero Coffee opened in July 2023 and is quickly approaching its second anniversary. Before Kevin Cardenas and his wife took over the space at 1704 Palos Verdes Drive North, the location was a Kung Fu Tea boba shop. While the previous tenant had a Japanese teahouse-inspired interior, Aventurero now features Andean terracotta, Spanish touches and a warm earth-tone palette — giving the shop a serene, cross-cultural ambiance.

Cardenas admits the design was a compromise between his maximalist tastes and his wife’s more minimalist sensibilities.

The couple runs the shop together and has created an intentionally simple menu of coffee, lattes, smoothies, pastries and bagels. A coffee roaster may be added next year to allow for a more sophisticated brewing process and a broader menu for aficionados. For now, the highlight might just be the coffee cake, which I can confidently say is A-1 certified.

“When we first started, it was really scary,” said Cardenas, who left a six-figure banking job to pursue the dream of owning a coffee shop. “We had like two customers a day, if we were lucky.” Now, they’re building a steady community of regulars and new visitors each day.

Cardenas’ journey into coffee didn’t begin with a business plan — it started with a leap. After saving some money, he quit his job without a clear next step. He moved into a small apartment in Lincoln Heights, where he found a job at B Twentyfour Coffee just two blocks away.

“I was just there working it because I liked doing it,” he said. “Then I got to talking to the owner, and she kind of influenced me too. ‘Hey, you should think about opening up your own shop,’ she said.”

That conversation sparked what had previously only been a dream.

Cardenas, now just 30, started his adventure at 24. His biggest challenge was convincing his wife, Mia Cardenas, to leap with him. Together, they’ve built more than a coffee shop — they’ve built a creative hub. Nearly everything for sale inside the shop, from paintings to candles and hand-knitted crafts, is produced by local artists who also happen to be loyal customers.

“Those are the people I look out for,” said Cardenas. “The ones who have been with us from the beginning.”

At monthly team meetings, Cardenas repeats a mantra to his staff: “Don’t take any customer for granted, even if they come every day. There are thousands of reasons why someone might stop coming — whether it’s a new job, a move, or school. Let’s not be the reason they don’t want to come back.”

Simple menu. Comfortable third space. Community engagement. Excellent service. It’s all by design — and all part of the adventure.

Aventuro Coffee

Time: Monday 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.,  Tuesday – Friday 7:30 a.m.. – 6:30 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Details: https://www.aventurerocoffee.com/

Location: 26640 S. Western Ave. Suite N., Harbor City