CoffeeDrunk Verified listing

CoffeeDrunk might have been cursed by falling into the “Birthed in the Pandemic” category, but owners Matthew and Breezy Church do not see it as anything but a silver lining. Now hosting three Long Beach shops—with a fourth on the way in Phoenix (yes, in Arizona)—CoffeeDrunk’s ability to brand itself well, fit into niche neighborhoods, and expand is something every ambitious small business owner could look toward as inspiration.

Moving from Washington to Long Beach, Breezy brought with her an influence from one of the most caffeinated states to our city. And she did so first by being a barista at the Peet’s in Belmont Shore that closed in 2019. Her first encounter with Matt was, well, somewhat awkward. Noticing her bright pink hair and “Breezy” name tag—while her birthname is Breanna, her grandmother’s nickname of “Breezy” has been with her since infancy—Matt admitted he was “being a guy.

“She looked at me like I was the devil. ‘That is absolutely my name.,'” Matt recounted. And though his weak attempt at flirting with the woman who made the best coffee—he followed her from Peets to Aroma di Roma when it was at its original location where Liv’s now sits with its Our Spot coffee popup—only to follow her when Aroma took over the other Starbucks that used to be on the west end of the Shore…

“Ten years ago, we ended up at the same spot in our lives and got married,” Matt said. “Like. Quickly. After our daughter was born, she wanted to return to work and expressed some interest in her own coffee shop. Being in construction, I am an engineer by trade in construction who does mechanical systems and stuff like that… And I thought, ‘How hard can that be?'”

CoffeeDrunk signed a lease in June of 2019 and COVID hit mid-construction. Their contractor disappeared mid-construction. They hadn’t yet built a patronage. Over eight months in, things were looking grim. Of course, hindsight being what it is, all wasn’t lost. They learned to refine and have become a defining staple in Long Beach's stellar coffee scene.

Written and photos by Brian Addison.

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