North Park’s coffee crowd is about to get a lot greener. San Diego-born Labora Cafe has signed a lease for the corner space at 2899 University Avenue, right next to The Observatory, where it plans to pour ceremonial-grade matcha and slow-drip Vietnamese coffee in a roughly 1,800-square-foot cafe. The new shop is expected to mirror the minimalist, work-friendly vibe of Labora’s Convoy location, with seasonal and site-specific drinks layered in, and the team is targeting a fall 2026 opening, roughly around September.
As reported by WhatNow, founders Lauren Thiemthath, Bao Doan and Phat Lu opened Labora’s first brick-and-mortar in late 2025 at 8055 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Suite #101 in the Convoy District, and are eyeing North Park as their next big move. The outlet notes the trio expects to debut the North Park shop around September 2026 and hopes to scale the concept across San Diego before pushing into Orange County.
Menu And Matcha
Labora’s drinks lean heavily into foam and texture, with layered creations like the Banana 53, which stacks banana foam over a base of matcha, Vietnamese coffee or espresso, plus a Vienna matcha and rotating cold foams in flavors such as pistachio, ube, pandan and blueberry. Those sit alongside more traditional espresso drinks and slow-drip Vietnamese coffee, according to the Labora menu and the brand’s Labora about page.
The team says it uses first-harvest, shade-grown matcha that is stone-milled for a smoother, less bitter cup. Both its online ordering setup and in-store service are built around presentation, layered textures and a quiet, laptop-friendly atmosphere.
Why North Park
"North Park felt like a natural next step," founder Lauren Thiemthath told San Diego Magazine, pointing to the neighborhood’s dense cafe scene and what she sees as a relative shortage of truly ceremonial-grade matcha. According to San Diego Magazine, the 1,800-square-foot corner suite at 2899 University Avenue will echo the Convoy aesthetic while introducing location-specific specials and collaborations with local pastry chefs.
Matcha Scene And Local Context
Labora is joining a growing matcha lineup in San Diego that already includes Holy Matcha, Paru, Matcha Cafe Maiko and Asa Bakery, part of a broader shift that has turned matcha into a neighborhood staple rather than a niche order. As WhatNow notes, the owners are planning five additional San Diego locations before any expansion into Orange County, a strategy that could quickly ramp up access to ceremonial-quality matcha across the region.
Hoodline previously covered Labora's Convoy debut. Labora has been asking the community for feedback on its menu and hours as it readies the North Park build-out, so expect more concrete opening details from the team later this year.
