This stylish Culver Metropolis barbershop has a hidden cafe

When heading to Culver Metropolis, guests often set their sights on the vigorous cluster of eating places the place Culver and Washington Boulevards converge, the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook stairs, or the quirky Jurassic Expertise Museum. However on the east aspect of Washington and Fairfax, a nondescript single-story constructing homes a contemporary barber and hair salon Home of Aanuko with its hooked up cafe, Aanuko Espresso.

Aanuko Espresso is an enchanting and surprising discover on this industrial space. Though the cafe began as an in-house service for patrons of the Home of Aanuko, it has been open to the general public for the previous six months. At any given hour, laptop computer employees in want of an ube or matcha rose latte are camped at one of many again tables, with a relentless stream of individuals arriving within the warehouse's vivid area to obtain low fade cuts, balayage coloring, or shiny beard trim.

A view from Aanuko's coffee shop in Culver City, California. — View from the cafe within the lounge.

Aanuko's home and cafe have been based by Joseph Andrews, who owns the boys's hair care firm BluMaan, in addition to David Alfonso and Christopher Zent, who personal the hair care product of l Hanz de Foucault. They met a decade in the past whereas Andrews was creating males's hair movies on YouTube, shortly racking up thousands and thousands of views as she tried out completely different hairstyles and merchandise.

“I didn't minimize my hair,” Andrews says. “However I used to be 19 and only a man who didn't know what to do with it or what I may do to make my hair look higher. So I began educating myself about hair merchandise and making movies to show guys learn how to model in 2014. The primary product I ever reviewed was a Hanz de Fuca product.”

A customer sits in a salon chair while getting a blow dry at the House of Aanuko barbershop in Culver City, California. — Haircut and elegance.

Alfonso appreciated the video sufficient to fly Andrews to Hanz de Fuko's headquarters in San Francisco, cementing a partnership. Andrews launched BluMaan in 2016 and has since adopted swimsuit. The trio opened the store in August 2022 and mixed their enterprise names to type Aanuko. Alfonso designed the lounge's inside with customized tiles, whimsical wallpaper, and a central space with chairs and sofas surrounded by crops. They began with 5 barbershops serving as much as 15 clients per week, however have elevated the move considerably because of TikTok. “I began making TikTok movies the second month we opened,” shares Andrews. “Inside a number of months, our staff of 5 barbers was totally booked. We now have 12.”

Initially, espresso was not a part of the plan. Though every appointment comes with a complimentary espresso drink, Aanuko Cafe now turns into a key a part of the salon. Earlier than opening in October 2023, the employees experimented to make their favourite espresso drinks, lots of which at the moment are on the menu. Conventional espresso drinks can be found in addition to iced milks. Go for the ginger cookie latte with espresso, milk, ginger cookie infusion, and candy cream or an iced latte made with lavender and vanilla. A whole part is devoted to matcha drinks just like the creamy matcha cloud and a refreshing matcha yuzu lemonade.

The entire area feels actually communal. Along with the cafe, there’s quick wifi, an expansive again patio and a comfy lounge. The aspect door has entry to the cafe, however stroll from the entrance entrance to the again and comply with your nostril to the odor of espresso.

Aanuko Espresso is open from 10 am to six pm whereas Home of Aanuko operates from 10 am to eight pm each day at 5790 Washington Boulevard, Culver Metropolis, CA, 90232.