A coffee and tea cafe that has already gained popularity as a neighborhood gathering spot in Newport Heights will open its second location at the Newport Beach Central Library.
This week, the City Council agreed to a contract with KIT Coffee to set up inside the library in a space that has been vacant for almost two years — it was previously operated by two other vendors. The new cafe — it’s near the library’s entrance and across from the passport office — will serve hot and cold beverages and an assortment of toasts, breakfast burritos, pastries and salads.
The agreement gives owner Eunice Hwang two options to extend the contract for five more years. She has 12 months to complete tenant upgrades, and, according to Seimone Jurjis, the city’s assistant city manager, Hwang has plans to make the space nicer.
“It will be amazing,” Jurjis said about the new concept, adding the last vendor closed about 18 months ago after having difficulty gaining a customer base during the pandemic, when Jurjis said the library also saw a decline in users. Last year, more than 440,000 people attended the library.
Jurjis said to get the new operator, the city put out notices and received interest from at least 16 other proprietors. That list was whittled down to three, who were then bought in for interviews. Among the considerations for final selection was the vendor’s track record and experience operating a food and beverage business.
Hwang’s rent will be based on the cafe’s income, Jurjis said. For the first $300,000 earned, the city will be paid 5%. If the cafe makes more than that, the percentage increases to 6%. As an example, if the cafe grosses $1 million, the city would receive $55,000.
“The menu is incredible, and the cafe has a good track record,” Jurjis said of KIT, which operates another location on Westcliff Drive and a second in Irvine.
According to KIT’s online menu, varieties of avocado toast range from $11 to $18, burritos are $13 to $17; there are salads for $13 and fried rice for $13, an almond croissant is $4.50 and there are assorted sides such as scrambled eggs for $4 and hashbrowns for $3.
A speaker during the recent council meeting questioned the prices and suggested some menu additions.
“The number of students and children I see here, I’d encourage a menu selection for children,” he said. “And make something more reasonable for people of lesser means that are often over here.”
Another speaker worried that not much information on other vendors who applied was made public by city staff, especially for someone who might operate for more than a decade at the library’s entrance.
“Normally, when staff goes through the bidding process, council is informed on the competition,” the resident said. “The staff report was terse, and somehow one was chosen. I don’t know if the library board or staff participated on whether this was an appropriate choice.”
City Councilmember Erik Weigand said he is familiar with the cafe near his home and said it is “packed day and night.”
“It’s a complimentary amenity for not only visitors to the library, but for City Hall employees,” he said. The library branch is located in the Civic Center. “Plus with the amount of events on the site, I think there will be a demand. Having a business that is already successful in the city will be a great asset and will draw some additional attention.”