Primo Passo
Image Credit - Flung Magazine
Neighborhood coffee shops are what make living in big cities feel that much more manageable. The feeling of having your very own coffee shop just around the corner, that every morning (or let's be honest, maybe once or twice a week because who can spend $5 a day in coffee) where you know you'll see a few of the same, familiar faces there every week. The gentleman sitting by the window, with his fedora and white beard, macchiato and newspaper. The cute couple on their first coffee date, hiding in the corner with their latte and mocha. Community and friendships can be found around a cup of a coffee and the owners of Primo Passo have proven that love can be found there too.
It was 17 years ago that their love story started, when Primo Passo owners Kara and Stewart first met. It was that same familiar coffee shop feel that brought the two love birds together. Every morning after his bike ride, Stewart would see Kara hanging out at the Coffee Bean on Barrington and San Vincente. This led to a love affair with each other and the dream of having their own coffee shop together. Now, four years after successfully opening Primo Passo on the corner of 7th and Montana in the coziest of Santa Monica neighborhoods, Kara and Steward have invited us into the fruit of their love story. Their passion for community and creativity has created a social hub for this small Santa Monica neighborhood.
In addition to the specialty coffee roasted in small batches to enhance and profile every flavor detail, Primo also offers teas, cold pressed juices, grab and go eats, and a variety of freshly baked sweets. Pre-COVID, the coffee shop was almost always packed to the brim inside and outside on their small patio. Though they thankfully still open, service is only provided at the door, blocking off the entrance to the actual coffee shop. And at the time, there is no patio seating available. We may not be able to gather and build community during this interesting chapter of history in our world, but we can still enjoy the excellent specialty coffee Primo Passo has to offer.