Inside Quentin Tarantino’s cafe, Pam’s Coffy: retro vibes at the Vista Theater

Los Angeles is home to a bevy of coffee shops, but only one is owned by Quentin Tarantino. The director’s highly anticipated cafe recently opened adjacent to the newly relaunched Vista Theater, purchased by Tarantino in 2021, and now Pam’s Coffy is serving custom-roasted coffee and throwback vibes daily in Los Feliz. He just wanted to give it back to the community, and also give back to essentially his fascination for Black exploitation films and Pam Grier.” Credited with breaking boundaries in Black cinema and widely heralded as one of the 1970s’ foxiest femme fatales, Grier starred in a range of action films, including “Coffy,” “Foxy Brown,” “The Big Doll House” and, in 1997, Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown.” Tarantino, who also owns the New Beverly Cinema, pays homage to Grier not only in the cafe’s name, merch and iconography but also its decor: Original posters from the star’s career are framed around the space, while groovy, colorful murals and throwback, playable tabletop games such as dominoes help complete the ’70s aesthetic. They’re brewed here by the potful, along with Bold Black Mamba — a nod to “Kill Bill” — plus cold brew and sweetened coffee concoctions such as lavender vanilla, raspberry mocha and butterscotch caramel. He chose to source the cafe’s baked goods from Cake Monkey Bakery, which in addition to items like bacon cheddar scones and vegan muffins specializes in “retro snack treats,” all on offer at Pam’s.