Village Coffee Shop Prepares to Close

, the at 2695 North Beachwood Drive closes today.

Co-owner Alex Papalexis, whose parents, Bill and Vergie Papalexis, first opened the coffee shop in 1975, had little to say, calling it “upsetting” and a “personal time” for his family. He did not elaborate on why it was closing. Alex Papalexis also runs the adjacent Beachwood Market.

Jeff Meyer, who has owned the neighboring Hollywoodland Antiques and Fine Time Pieces for 15 years, said the coffee shop's closing is understandable yet “profoundly sad.”

“When I first opened, there was a 15- to 20-minute wait to get a table,” Meyer said. “Now you can go in at any time and get a seat. It’s a wonderful family that’s given a lot to the neighborhood.”

Patti Peck, a former owner of Millie's Cafe in Silver Lake, confirmed she will open a new restaurant at the location. It will be called Beachwood Cafe, and .

Lynn Shepodd, a local realtor who serves on the membership committee of the Hollywoodland Homeowner's Association, recalled when the coffee shop was just a counter. She said it will be sad to say goodbye, but is looking forward to having a new tenant in the neighborhood.

“We’re very excited,” said Lynn Shepodd. “We’re all excited about what comes next. Generally speaking, I've heard good things.”

Kyle Fischer-Moore and his wife, Rheanne, live nearby and regularly eat at the Village Coffee Shop. Kyle Fischer-Moore has mixed feelings about the end of an era for the restaurant.

“I think there’s something about the old style versus trendier restaurants in the neighborhood,” he said. “Anytime an organization leaves that’s been around for a long time, there’s a concern about history being preserved.”

Ryan Brown, a real estate agent who first started eating at the Village Coffee Shop two months ago, has seen people in recent weeks saying goodbye to the shop’s waitresses as if they were old friends.

“It’s quaint, and it’s kind of the heart of the area,” Brown said. “That actually is really sad. It’s kind of scary something’s leaving that’s such a part of the neighborhood.”

Shepodd agreed, saying she too treasures what the “fixture” and the Papalexis family has meant to the community.

“They’re such a wonderful family,” Shepodd said. “They’re so committed to this community, and they’ve done such a good job, but it’s hard to run a restaurant and a shop.”

What do you think about the Village Coffee Shop closing? Tell us in the comments.