Just below the second floor of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen the phrase, “WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER” functions as a sentry to the patrons who enter the shop residing on the corner of La Brea Avenue and Regent Street. 

The expression could be a testament to its inauguration, a collaborative effort between co-creators Ajay Relan, Yonnie Hagos and producer and actress Issa Rae from HBO’s “Insecure.” Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen is the second location of the Hilltop brand, the first located in View Park and a third set to open in Eagle Rock.

The union between the trio came to be due to a shared interest in generating an area where Inglewood residents could congregate and create. Calling her an “authentic partner” Relan said that Rae’s values and mission were similar to their own.

The coffee shop is one of the newest additions to Inglewood, an ever-evolving city subjected to constant change including Metro construction and new sports arenas.

What sets Hilltop apart from other businesses is that it’s “something that services the incoming population,” Relan said in a video press release.

“All the culture that comes out of South of LA [is the] origin for a lot of culture that a lot of people consume and it just doesn’t get the credit that it deserves, so we hope that through visual, the food, the interaction with our team, people leave feeling inspired,” Relan said in the video.

Rae, who grew up in View Park and Inglewood, echoed Relan’s statement noting that Hilltop was fashioned with concerns of its surrounding residents in mind. The partnership between Rae and the creators can be attributed to Rae’s desires to open a coffee shop in her own neighborhood.

“In such a time where we hear about neighborhoods being gentrified with no interest in the community and pushing other people out and we really just want to invite the community, we want to say we’re here for you,” Rae said.

The interior of the coffee shop features an open floor plan full of seating tucked into every corner of the space, a large Inglewood poster hung on the wall that leads to the second floor. Rae shared that it was important that each Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen site is attuned to characterize the city it resides in.

“The one in View Park is representative of the View Park residents, the one in Inglewood is the same thing,” Rae said.

“The one in Inglewood is even a bit more elevated, it’s meant to be an elevated space for our community and acknowledges the fact that it creates a different role.”

Hilltop’s Inglewood location was established with creators in mind, a place for them to work on their craft and meet others at the same time. Still, Hagos affirmed that this shouldn’t deter anyone else from coming in for a beverage or food item.

“Hilltop is an inclusive space, it's for the communities that we’re putting them into but for the creator, for the writer that's coming in to write, for the entrepreneur that’s coming in taking meetings and for the family that's coming in that lives down the street for brunch on the weekends,” Hagos said.

Los Angeles has seen a surge of Black business owners in the realm of coffee shops including shops like Sip and Sonder and Hot and Cool Cafe.

Despite the competitive nature of business, Rae shared that they want to instead help one another.

“A lot of us are Black-owned specifically and we don’t want to compete, we want to work together, we don’t want people to feel like they have to choose it’s really just like this is our area where we have our own interests at heart,” Rae said.

“I feel like in the same way we’ve been talking about a film and television renaissance just with Black creators really stepping up and coming to the forefront, I hope the same thing happens with Black owners in Black neighborhoods.”

South LA Café brings out community leaders at Grand Opening of community-focused coffee shop 

South LA Cafe recently held a grand opening to celebrate its community-focused coffee shop. A significant win for the culture because they are impacting lives, inspiring others to follow, and bringing more African American ownership in the area. SLAC's mission is to build for the community, bring people together, provide quality food at affordable pricing.

The founders of this establishment are Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace. The Ward-Wallace's saw a need in the community. It wasn't that many places in the neighborhood for people to have a comfortable space to build. Imagine having coffee shops that's community-focused in under-represented areas, and you would see the rise in black-owned businesses.

 There are so many talented, innovative entrepreneurs in our communities, but the lack of resources hinders us from moving forward. SLAC is setting the blueprint of what African Americans should continue to strive for in the city of Los Angeles. There is a lot of gentrification going on, and black people get pushed out of our neighborhoods. It's a crucial time for us to start investing in the community, and taking control of our destiny.

Joe Ward-Wallace said the vision started in his mind, where he just wanted a place to hang with his peers, have fun, and build. “I just wanted a kick it spot,” Ward-Wallace implied. He went on to say, “I saw the change coming, I saw what was about to happen. People are telling me I was crazy. I stood out there with trash cans, dirty, and digging, people asking me what I am doing. I didn't listen to the naysayers. I said you know what, this is my community. I am going to build it.”

Joe and his wife, Celia Ward-Wallace, had a vision and executed. At the grand opening, there were community leaders from all over Los Angeles, entrepreneurs, councilman, artists, and even the LAPD Captain, Lee Sands was in attendance. Sands said, "I think this is way overdue in this community. For me, as a law enforcement officer we will support this wholeheartedly.

This is a place we will use for officers to interact with people in the community, which I think is even more important. This coffee shop will not only bridge community members together, but it will enhance the relationship between law enforcement and those individuals, which I think is needed." Everyone was there, vibing with one another, networking, laughing, drinking coffee, and having a great time. This celebration ignited innovators in the area because they now have a place to express their creativity and meet other like-minded individuals.

Celia Ward-Wallace encouraged the attendees to follow their dreams, and build businesses that create an impact, but only if you genuinely feel called to do it. In a journey of building an empire, there are going to be times when you inspire others, and there will be trials, tribulations, and obstacles that will make you want to give up.

The only thing that will keep you pushing in times of hardship is if you have a purpose behind what you want to accomplish. Celia Ward-Wallace came up with the mic and said, "To speak to the mission, if you are interested in businesses that make an impact or driven by purpose, you really shouldn't be doing it, if you aren't deeply rooted in a why, and a mission. Keep that in mind, when you are deciding what you want to do. Don't do it unless it's something you feel internally called to do. Like you are the planet because you need to do this." She kept it real and emphasized how serious it is  to have a story behind your mission. You have to have a purpose more significant than you when making a difference.

L.A. City Councilmember, Marqueece Harris-Dawson came and supported the grand opening. The Councilman is happy to be apart of this project, and he talked about King Estates is an untapped area in the community. Harris-Dawson said, "King Estates is one of the most powerful neighborhoods in the community.

It's a neighborhood with a lot of potentials that haven't been realized here today. Joe and Celia invested like two years ago, and they figured out a way to make it work. Not just to make it a gathering place in the community. But for people to come from all around the world. It's part of a bigger revitalization of Western Blvd. There a lot of things happening here in King Estates."

Harris-Dawson also touched on the fact that there are a lot of upcoming entrepreneurs coming up in the area. "It's a movement. People in our community, our sons, our daughters, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, they are figuring out if we want a certain thing in our community we can't wait for someone to come in and bring it. We have to build it ourselves.

That's what Joe and Celia have done here today at South LA cafe. It's a whole movement. We have more cafe's now black-owned that we've had in the last 25 years.

We're figuring out coffee shops, we're figuring out retail, apparel establishments. Nipsey Hussle behind us lit that spark about six years ago." Councilman Harris-Dawson went on to discuss how proud the late Nipsey Hussle would be to see black people building businesses. "This is exactly what Nipsey would have wanted to see. One of his moments famous quotes is the highest human act is to inspire.

He said that a lot because he understood that there is a limit to what you can do as an individual and by yourself. But what we all can do together is much bigger. What we see today and all along Western Blvd is an example of what we can do when we're pointing in the same direction."

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