Play Coffee opens Laguna Beach flagship focused on espresso clarity

Play Coffee opened its 1,400-square-foot flagship at 500 Broadway St., Laguna Beach, on January 7, rolling out a menu and bar setup built around espresso clarity and multiroaster curation. The new space showcases rotating choices rather than a single house roast, with four to six espresso coffees cycled through distinct recipes and pressure profiles so customers can taste how origin and extraction interact.

The bar centers two major machines. A La Marzocco Leva X, paired with a Weber Workshops EG-1, anchors specialty espresso presentations aimed at highlighting nuance and precision. Nearby, a La Marzocco KB90 handles both more traditional espresso service and experimental drinks that benefit from higher throughput. Grinding is handled on a Mahlkönig EK43 fitted with SSP burrs to support consistent particle distribution across the menu. Manual pourovers use April brewers, cold brew is steeped in Toddy systems, and batch brew runs on Curtis machines equipped with a Litmus spray head. Water flows through a 10-stage filtration system and is re-mineralized before service.

For locals and visitors the practical value is immediate. Expect a tasting-forward approach: baristas will work with multiple recipes and pressure curves rather than a single default pull, so ordering a double espresso may deliver very different flavors depending on the espresso selection and recipe in use that day. The multi-roaster model keeps beans varied and gives customers a rotating lineup of single-origin and blended work from partner roasters. Play Coffee says it will continue showcasing partner roasters rather than move into roasting itself, which preserves that rotating, comparative tasting ethos.

Community impact reaches beyond a new café footprint. By committing to a multiroaster program and advanced extraction tools, Play provides a local platform for roasters to display distinct profiles and for home brewers or pros to study how adjustments translate to cup. The equipment list makes the flagship a useful stop for baristas looking to experience Leva X presentations, KB90 workflow differences, EK43 grinding, and the effects of a Litmus spray head on batch extraction.

The space also serves everyday needs: espresso-based drinks, manual brews, cold brew and batch coffee for grab-and-go. The emphasis on water treatment, stable grinding, and pressure profiling means the menu is tuned for clarity and repeatability, not just theatrics.

The takeaway? Give the rotating espressos a side-by-side listen with a friend, ask for the recipe or pressure profile if you're curious, and treat this as a tasting counter as much as a neighborhood pick-me-up. Our two cents? Bring an empty cup for a sample flight and take notes—this is a spot built for learning while you sip.