Tucked into the lobby of the Chabad House at UCLA, a Jewish student center in Westwood, is a small shop serving lattes and pour-over coffee.
Chabad’s lobby space was largely unused before Driply took it over in October, said Moshe Kashani, the shop’s founder and owner. Driply also serves cold brew, matcha and oatmeal, according to its website.
“One of the guys who manages the building proposed the idea,” Kashani said. “We could utilize it and make it more alive.”
Kashani, who attends the Shabbat at Chabad service most Friday nights, said he developed the shop’s brand by experimenting with canned cold brew and attending pop-up events for several years.
He added that he assembled the shop using repurposed equipment, including a friend’s old espresso machine and discarded furniture from the Chabad House.
Driply originally opened with a smaller menu to accommodate its limited equipment, but Kashani said he eventually expanded the menu to include espresso drinks and matcha beverages.
Kashani said he later developed the recipe for the store’s cold brew latte.
“We got the cold brew, I mixed in some oat milk, vanilla,” Kashani said. “That kind of became the signature drink.”
Despite its limited space, Driply is an enjoyable place to have a drink and read a book, said Dana Cho, a content creator who collaborated with the shop in March.
Cho, a UCLA School of Law student, added that the collaboration differed from her other influencer partnerships because Kashani showed attention to detail when explaining the business, equipment and drink-making process.
“The owner was really hands-on,” Cho said. “He was really genuinely trying to get to know me.”
Arianna Brody, whose family owns Bagel Factory on Sepulveda Boulevard, said she worked with Driply during Mazal Market, a Jewish flea market held in March.
Brody, a close friend of Kashani, added that they served bagels and coffee at a joint-booth at the flea market.
“It was a 10 out of 10,” Brody said.
Because of Driply’s unconventional location, Kashani said he has marketed his business with fliers and collaborations.
The space is quieter compared to other places in Westwood, Cho said.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s workable,” Kashani said.
Kashani added that he hopes to open his own independent location and possibly franchise Driply in the future.
“This is a temporary launch pad for us,” he said. “We’re looking to get a proper space, a lot more coffee shop-esque and to keep growing and get multiple locations.”
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