On any morning, folks can walk into Luua Caffe and order a cup of coffee before ordering Mexican delicacies like chilaquiles verdes or a breakfast quesadilla. Then, around noon, the menu suddenly transforms — offering falafel, chicken and beef kabob plates, with a choice of a side salad.
Pedro Ruiz, the owner of the restaurant on La Brea Avenue, told The LA Local that Luua Caffe wants to offer Inglewood locals a variety through three separate menus that include Mexican breakfast items in the morning to Mediterranean dishes in the afternoon, and coffee and matcha all day.
“I think that’s what makes us known as this place, makes us special,” said Ruiz, who opened the restaurant in June 2025.
Ruiz’s parents were born in Oaxaca, Mexico, inspiring the name “Luua,” which translates to “Oaxaca” in the region’s dialect. He combined his culture, fondness for healthy Mediterranean cuisine and barista experience to create the restaurant’s menu.
“It’s very rare to see this kind of combination or type of business, when you have two different menus completely, which makes me more happy to have that menu,” Ruiz said, adding it gives customers options.
Ruiz grew up in LA and was 19 when he started working in the restaurant business.
“So, that’s how it became a dream for me, like, I was like ‘one day, I’ll have my own business,’” Ruiz said.
He worked in cafes and kitchens across Santa Monica before opening Luua Caffe in Inglewood.
“I think Inglewood is growing and it needs a few places like this in the city, especially with the SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the (Kia) Forum,” Ruiz said. “It needs places to come and visit.”
Luua Caffe welcomes both locals and first-time visitors like Faith Gay, who visited the restaurant Tuesday looking for lunch at a place that “wasn’t gonna close at 3 p.m.”
“A place like this that’s offering variety, lunch, coffee, etcetera, walking in and seeing people work on laptops, having outlets … offering people a variety of things is the sort of thing that a lot of people in the area want,” Gay said.
Inglewood local Arely Cano said Luua Caffe creates a welcoming environment inside such a small space.
“I feel like that’s the thing that connects someone with the restaurant and makes them wanna keep coming and that’s what my mom and I felt,” Cano said.
Cano said her mom, Alejandra Lopez, goes to Luua Caffe once a week and raves about their coffee.
“They are friendly with everyone, and they have conversations with us,” Cano said.
Luua Caffe baristas remember the locals, like Cano’s mom, who frequent the restaurant.
“We have a lot of regular customers, all different ethnicities. But the majority, they are Latinos,” said Lilian Solares, who’s been working at the cafe since February 2026.
“The owner is from Mexico, a lot of people from Mexico are really happy when they hear,” she said.
With the early success of Luua Caffe, Ruiz told The LA Local he hopes to create a bigger restaurant, and maybe even add a couple more locations.
“Why not a franchise?” Ruiz said.
