Labora Cafe Is Named After the Latin for "To Work" — and Stays Open Until 9

Overview

The name tells you the business model. "Labora is derived from the Latin word meaning 'to work.'"

Labora Cafe is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily, and it's explicitly built as a co-working space as much as a café. That thirteen-hour day is the thing that separates it from most of San Diego's specialty coffee, which tends to shut somewhere between 2 and 4 p.m. and leave anyone working with nowhere to go.

It was founded by Bao Doan and Lauren Thiemthat, who describe themselves as San Diego natives.

Here's what they actually make, and the sourcing is specific enough to be worth repeating.

The matcha is "crafted from first-harvest tea leaves grown in Kyoto and Kagoshima" — shade-grown, and "slowly stone-milled." The coffee is slow-dripped Vietnamese, house-made. The Earl Grey syrup is made in house too.

And the drinks are built in layers. Their signature range, the Labora Creations, are foam-layered — and they're named with numbers rather than descriptions, which takes a minute to get used to.

The Menu

Labora Creations — $7.10 and up. The foam-layered signatures:

Salty 46 · Scarlet 3 · Banana 53 · Blueberry 30 · Pistachio 54 · Ube 39 · Pandan 32

Inspiration Matcha:

• Labora 1 — $7.35
• Matcha x2 — $7.60
• Earl 37 — $7.85
• Vienna Matcha — $8.35

Production Coffee:

• Americano — $5.60
• Latte — $5.85
• Drip 0 — $7.10 — the Vietnamese drip. Note: it's premade and can't be made with a milk substitute
• Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso — $7.60
• Vienna Latte — $7.85

To take home:

• KYOTO 2 ceremonial matcha, 30g — $40.00
• ELEMENT 36 insulated bottle, 32oz — $45.00

There's a rewards app, with points for signing up.

The Locations

• Kearny Mesa — 8055 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Suite 101, San Diego, CA 92111. Their first location, which they call the legacy store
• North Park — 2899 University Ave, San Diego
• West Hollywood — listed as coming soon

Published hours are 8 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, given as a single block for the company rather than per location — so if you're making a specific trip, particularly late, it's worth a call.

Phone: 1.888.569.0660 · Email: help@laboracafe.com

Good to Know

• It's open until nine. That's the reason to know about this place.
• The Drip 0 can't take alternative milk — it's premade. If you're dairy-free, order something else.
• Learn one number. The drink names are numbers, and once you have yours the menu is easy.
• Ceremonial matcha is sold by the tin at $40 for 30g if you want to make it at home.
• It's designed for working, so it's a reasonable bet for a laptop afternoon — though they don't publish a wifi or laptop policy, so don't treat it as guaranteed.

The Takeaway

Order a Labora 1 and sit down with whatever you've been avoiding.

What makes Labora worth knowing isn't the matcha sourcing, good as it is — it's that two San Diego natives built a specialty coffee shop around the idea that people need somewhere to work until nine at night, and then named it after the Latin for "to work." That's a clearer thesis than most cafés have.

For more spots worth knowing, browse our Local Picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Labora Cafe? Two San Diego locations: Kearny Mesa at 8055 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Suite 101, and North Park at 2899 University Ave. A West Hollywood location is listed as coming soon.

What are Labora Cafe's hours? 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily.

What does "Labora" mean? It's from the Latin for "to work."

Who founded Labora Cafe? Bao Doan and Lauren Thiemthat, who describe themselves as San Diego natives.

Where does the matcha come from? First-harvest leaves grown in Kyoto and Kagoshima, shade-grown and stone-milled.

How much are the drinks? Coffee runs $5.60 to $7.85, matcha $7.35 to $8.35, and the signature Labora Creations start at $7.10.

Can I get the Vietnamese drip coffee with oat milk? No — the menu states the drip coffee is premade and can't be substituted.

Do they sell matcha to take home? Yes — a 30g tin of KYOTO 2 ceremonial matcha is $40.