Play Coffee Founder Leon Wansikehian (center) poses in the new Orange location surrounded by seasoned baristas (from left) Andreah Perez, Benjamin Walton, Yuli Hernandez and Michael Segura.  The coffee shop is espresso-focused, and the Old Towne location has a few espresso offerings unique from Play Coffee’s Fullerton shop.

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Play Coffee

Leon Wansikehian loves coffee.  What started as a budding fascination for espresso at the age of 14 transformed into a business—Play Coffee.  In March, he opened Play Coffee’s Old Towne location.  The store sits in the building that previously hosted Wells Fargo on Chapman Avenue in the Plaza.

“I was incredibly lucky to find a passion I fell in love with and even more blessed to be able to turn it into a career,” says Wansikehian.  “I love what I do.”

The Old Towne location is Play Coffee’s second, with its flagship store in Fullerton.  While the menu remains similar, the design is entirely different.  The Fullerton location is a primarily outdoor coffee shop constructed from bricks and repurposed shipping containers, whereas the Old Towne location is an open space concept with minor renovations of the bank’s original design.

“The goal was to design something new and appealing without clashing with the historical integrity of the building,” says Wansikehian.  “We tried to be very gentle with the design.”

The Play Coffee team members pride themselves on offering an untraditional coffee shop experience.  It heavily focuses on espressos, and the physical space and menu aim to evoke feelings of transparency.

“The atmosphere is very lively, and we built it off wanting to create a sense of transparency for our customers,” says Wansikehian.  “We have a 360-degree espresso bar so guests can see the entirety of their beverage being made.”

Play Coffee has a multi-roaster setup, meaning that the retail and menu offerings are constantly changing, allowing the shop to feature a diverse set of roasters worldwide.

“Our system gives people a chance to try coffee they’ve never tried before, even for our employees,” says Director of Operations Ashley Papa.  “It’s an accessible way to work with the best professional roasters from around the world and offer their coffee in a way that showcases their hard work.”

Customers can order regular black coffee or espresso and find familiar espresso-based offerings like a cappuccino, mocha or macchiato.  Play Coffee also has a few original menu items, like the Volcano Latte with infused smoky sea salt.

Offering distinctive coffee experiences is a goal for Wansikehian, but he is also looking forward to further connecting with the Orange community.  “We’d love to embrace the neighborhood and meet everybody and hear the stories here,” he says.

“You build a relationship with the people you serve coffee to,” adds Papa.  “Coffee is something that people look forward to—whether it’s at the beginning, middle or end of their day, and my favorite part of the work we do is getting to be a part of that.” 

Play Coffee
101 East Chapman Ave., Old Towne Orange, CA 92866  /  714-878-7501