Meet Annie Choi founder of Found Coffee

Growing up a lot of lessons came from our moms, tias (aunts), and abuelas (grandmas) through their dichos (sayings). One of the dichos that my mom used to say often was, si quieren encontrar las cosas, las tienen que salir a buscar, las cosas no las van a venir a encontrar, which translates to if you want to find something, you must go out and seek it, things will not come to find you. When I got the opportunity to meet Annie, founder of Found Coffee, in Los Angeles, CA, the spirit of the dicho is precisely what she embodies and resonated with the stories she shared. The unfulfilling work and the no’s she received on the journey to finding herself, only encouraged her to seek outside what she had known and get out to knock on doors. This is what led Annie to open the doors to the space known for almost 8 years, as Found Coffee. 

The smell of coffee, roses, and Annie greeted me as I entered the coffee shop. I got to try a cold brew with oat milk, with notes of vanilla, which will have me coming back for more. One of my favorite moments during the interview was watching Annie greet many of the visiting Found Coffee community members by name. Below is a glimpse into the conversation Annie and I shared during my recent interview with her that I hope will spark joy, and inspire you to visit Found Coffee soon!

Annie, would you tell us about you, your background, and bio?

My name is Annie Choi. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, in the La Crescenta and East Hollywood areas in a Korean Christian household. I grew up in a church where the culture was taught from the pulpit and not necessarily the gospel, which turned some of me and my family members off and eventually away from church. When I went off to college at UC San Diego, I went back to church and was really involved. I always knew that I wanted to come back to LA because I thought that telling stories would be my life dream and passion. After college, I entered the entertainment industry. I worked on some little shows such as, Keeping up with the Kardashians and Project Runway. I believe this time is a big part of my testimony because I was so focused on my career being my identity rather than Jesus, and I was so miserable. Because of this, I experienced anxiety and I decided to change careers in my mid 20's. When I opened Found Coffee in 2015, I was only 28. So we've been here now for almost 8 years, and I realized that telling stories within the four walls of my coffee shop and small business has been more fulfilling to me, than what I did behind a computer all day long in a dark room.

When was the seed for Found Coffee  planted? 

First, I would like to share that the name, Found Coffee, came from the fact that I wanted community to be found in this space. But also, because a lot of the things inside the walls of the shop are vintage and upcycled that were found. Reflecting back on the name, I realized I also found myself, and my dog among other things in this process.   

The seed for the coffee shop was planted when I began to look for barista jobs, and after failed attempts due to my overqualification of having worked as a video editor in the industry for a few years. I actually ended up asking for an unpaid internship at Demitasse Coffee Roasters, 10 years ago. I was there for 14 months, and that's where I realized that is what I wanted to do. The connections with people on a daily basis is what I had been missing. 

What was the timeline from the seed to the opening of this space?

From the end of my Demitasse internship to the Found Coffee opening it was 18 months! At the end of my internship at Cafe Demitasse, I got the opportunity to manage the shop, which was like a masters program for me. I had so much more empathy for my old boss in the industry because of this process. I left Cafe Demitasse in August of 2014, and I signed the lease to Found Coffee one week later! I was led to this current location by a friend, and after observing the foot traffic multiple times in a single day, I signed the lease. 

Other realities that watered this seed forward were first, taking risks. This muscle I feel was trained by the gap year I took off to explore careers between the industry and the internship. Two, was community. My crowdfunding loans through Kiva were instantly successful due to family, industry colleagues, church community and friend support. I raised my fundraising goals within hours! Lastly, grit and the resilience to power through. If that is not a muscle that you can exercise you will be squashed in the first few months of small business ownership. 

Were there communities or mentors who walked with you through the process?

I had trouble finding mentors, because they were very much male and white in this business. But what helped me was having my parents to look up to. My mother had an acupuncture clinic for 25 years, and my dad has always had a string of small businesses, which is where I believe I get my entrepreneurial spirit from. 

What was a challenge and lesson from living through covid 19? 

I always joke that with the pandemic it feels like I've been in business for 25 years, and not 7.5! I'm really grateful that I've worked on myself prior to the pandemic. I feel like companies and individuals in this nation, because they had not faced themselves and demons prior to the pandemic, they found themselves facing them during the pandemic. For me it was just another lesson in adaptation and acknowledging where my strengths lie. 

Something that came out of the pandemic is that in light of the #stopasianhate hashtag and events that our community experienced, I really wanted to shine Asian American and Asian Canadian vendors to our community in the shop. As an Asian American woman myself, I opened our space to host pop up shops and carry merchandise from Asian American and Asian Canadian owned businesses, which as a result also brought in different revenue streams because at a certain point we really did not know where everything would lead. 

How do you care for you and your staff through the different layers of overwhelm that COVID and other national mourning moments, such as #stopassianhate, have brought?

I am in therapy, but in 2020 we also closed for two weeks during christmas break for the first time. Rest was so important, and I believe it is productive and restorative. I was also able to provide mental health days to our staff during 2020 and 2021. Personally, I began my physical training journey through running at the Rose Bowl and weight training at a local gym. And I’ve loved that they are teaching me form first prior to weight lifting as part of the weight training. 

On a lighter note, what is the signature coffee drink on your menu that all of us must try when we visit Found Coffee?

My first recommendation would be the Dirty Jai, which is an almond milk dirty iced chai with cold brew instead of the traditional espresso shot. Since we make vanilla bean syrup in house my second recommendation and a local favorite is the bourbon vanilla latte.

Dreams are sacred, but is there a piece of them and where you see Found Coffee and yourself in the next 5 years that you are willing to share with us?

Professionally, I hope to open another location in Los Angeles. Personally, I would like to write a memoir in the next 5 years. But I would also like to write children's books. Children's books are something I pick up to collect during each of my travels. 

Alma Lizzette Cardenas- Rodriguez
Is a writer, published author, mentor, and academic advisor 
From the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, CA
www.almalizzette.com