of San Diego’s oldest
neighborhoods in P.B.
is a charming 1920’s
beach house with a deck
and garden called Café 976.
One of the first buildings in
the area, it was originally
a home, then used as
a school and then an antique
store before it was rehabbed
in 1993 into the coffeehouse
bistro that it is today.
Students, business professionals, musicians,
artists, Moms and Dads with their kids and elders,
all who seem completely comfortable to call this
place their own. The café’s wooden deck and patio
is surrounded by a large, luxurious garden
with tables and chairs nestled throughout.
The place oozes a casual, relaxed atmosphere,
where surfboards, dogs, birds and bikes all mix
comfortably as people talk about last nights
escapades or their imminent trip to the beach
just two blocks away.
I decided to visit the café on a Saturday morning.
The place was jammed, as I had to compete to find
a place to sit. When I asked one of the managers,
Ian Penn, why the place was so popular he
answered, “Living in an urban environment, people
from all walks of life come here, as it is a refuge
of sorts. They feel at home, as if they were sitting
in their own backyard.”
from local artists and it has the original pine floor throughout. Some signs of the
modern world exist with the Internet connection available for people with
wireless capabilities, or a computer in the corner for those just visiting.
When Steve, a vendor from Real Soda, was walking out of the café, I asked him
his impression of the café. “Café 976 is the definitive antithesis to Starbucks.
It’s an original and here you are encouraged to stop your hectic day, stay
for a while, and enjoy meeting people you wouldn’t normally come across
in your regular routine.”
comes to the café. “I’m working on my latest photography
book,” she said excitedly. “The photos and riffs are from
ideas leading to love. Every day I have my afternoon coffee
at this beautiful café, taking random pictures, notes, and
my time. Café 976 is in this vortex, its own amazing little
existence.” She takes a sip of her coffee and looks to one
of the residential birds trying to make friends with us.
“After my afternoon cup, I go back to the studio and
hammer out my gatherings. And then the very next day
I get up and come back to this café for my afternoon cup
and do it all over again.”
For more info on Café 976, check out this article written about us!
BEST COFFEE HOUSE - Cafe 976
By Neha Singh
Staff Writer for The Guardian
