Reclaiming the Platte River
This is a collaborative piece.
The Rayback Collective
La Vita Bella Coffeehouse
Longmont, Colorado--La Vita Bella opened its doors to downtown Longmont in 2012 as a cozy Italian coffeehouse, and quickly became a community favorite with its underground atmosphere.
The Coffeehouse has always been a welcoming place for artists and musicians to showcase their work, and still uses its original recipes despite having changed hands. The original owners of La Vita Bella meant for it to be a community space where Longmont Theater Company performers and audience alike could meet up after the show, and now it isn’t uncommon for La Vita Bella to host performers.
Current owner, Mike Eckstine, has big plans for La Vita Bella. In May, Eckstine got the idea to buy the building next door to their current location and the floors above it. Partnered with Todd Eichorn, Eckstine plans to expand La Vita Bella to be a coffeehouse, distillery, and a coworking office space, entitled the Experience Building.
The building is up and running now for local businesses, but still has some work before the coffeehouse is able to move next door. “We’re all very eager to move over,” says Kailey Wintergerst, La Vita Bella Manager. “We’ve recently gotten that final push to move over, so it’s very exciting”.
With big things in the near future, La Vita Bella hopes to settle its roots in Longmont and create a hub for the community.
The Coffeehouse has always been a welcoming place for artists and musicians to showcase their work, and still uses its original recipes despite having changed hands. The original owners of La Vita Bella meant for it to be a community space where Longmont Theater Company performers and audience alike could meet up after the show, and now it isn’t uncommon for La Vita Bella to host performers.
Current owner, Mike Eckstine, has big plans for La Vita Bella. In May, Eckstine got the idea to buy the building next door to their current location and the floors above it. Partnered with Todd Eichorn, Eckstine plans to expand La Vita Bella to be a coffeehouse, distillery, and a coworking office space, entitled the Experience Building.
The building is up and running now for local businesses, but still has some work before the coffeehouse is able to move next door. “We’re all very eager to move over,” says Kailey Wintergerst, La Vita Bella Manager. “We’ve recently gotten that final push to move over, so it’s very exciting”.
With big things in the near future, La Vita Bella hopes to settle its roots in Longmont and create a hub for the community.