What began as a New Orleans coffee podcast will become a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Baton Rouge when Las Brujas Coffee & Grocery opens early next year at 3101 Government St. In addition to offering high-end specialty coffee drinks and beans, Las Brujas will also have a small-format community market featuring local products.
Owner David Villa recently told What Now New Orleans that the name “Las Brujas” is an homage to his Colombian heritage.
“Las Brujas is not unique to me, that’s the name of my family farm in Colombia where I was born,” Villa said. He explained that the name was inspired by the Spanish moss on the property, which “looks like witches’ hair hanging from the trees.”
A standout feature of the cafe is its unique air-roasted beans. Partner, master roaster, and owner of Rebel Coffee Roaster in Slidell, Ed Kuhlman uses a specialty air roaster to suspend beans in hot air to create a cleaner, sweeter coffee with less bitterness. Villa said Kulhman introduced him to this type of roast when Villa interviewed him for his Coffee UPside Down podcast. In addition to a full espresso bar, the coffee shop will have pastries from local bakeries, including gluten-free options.
The other half of the 1,600-square-foot space will function as a local grocery. Villa is partnering with regional purveyors like Bayou Sarah Farms and Home Place Pastures to stock everything from sustainable beef to natural wines. There are also plans to sell home goods and personal care items from local producers.
With backgrounds in coffee podcasting, food retail, and hospitality, Villa envisions the shop as the “antithesis of the modern coffee shop,” prioritizing a rustic aesthetic over a sterile one. He will get the keys to the space in hand on January 1, and is targeting a February opening for the Mid-City hub.
“It’s very much an extension of my personality and my wishes for people’s experiences,” he said. “I really want this space be warm and inviting, like you want to hang out there for a bit.”
“I’ve pulled experiences from everything I’ve done, and I’m able now to have the opportunity to bring it all under one roof.”
