Be Bright Coffee is run by Frank and Michelle, who launched it in 2020 “with the hopes of making it easy for the average coffee drinker to access amazing, locally roasted coffee”. Before it had a following it had a weekly pop-up at Smorgasburg in Los Angeles, where the team showed up every Sunday for three and a half years, and in 2022 it opened its first café, Be Bright on Melrose.

The roasting happens every Tuesday in Los Angeles. The team began entering national competitions in 2021: a cold brew championship that year, third place at the 2022 US Roaster Championship, Frank’s win at the 2024 US Barista Championship and second place at the 2025 US Brewers Cup. The coffees are sorted on the shelf by character, Dark & Bold, Rich & Smooth, Bright & Lively and Unique & Surprising, with a quiz for anyone unsure where to start, and they ship by subscription or to wholesale cafés, restaurants and hotels.

The Melrose café serves a menu of signature drinks beside the classics: the Ultralight Bean, a caramel latte with sweet foam, the Vivid Cream Latte with brown sugar, the Einspänner, an americano under cold foam and cocoa, and the Toasted Island Latte with coconut and macadamia. Pour-over and cold brew sit next to a list of Chinese and Taiwanese teas, and the food, from nut butter toast to a veggie sandwich on black sesame loaf, is made in house. Be Bright also caters events.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Be Bright Coffee