Full of large tables, couches and a bar, And Destroy Coffee & Gaming had its soft opening August 30, 2025, offering free drinks to its first 100 customers. The coffee shop, located on North Eagle Rock Boulevard, strives to create a unique gathering space by staying open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., barista Adrian Leifson said.
“I’m really happy that we’re open so late into the night, and a lot of people who come in here are happy that they have somewhere to hang out so late,” Leifson said.
According to Leifson, there is a difference between the clientele of a coffee shop open in the morning and those who frequent a coffee shop at night.
“As someone who mostly does night shifts, I think that it’s more chill. People are getting off work, people want to hang out, whereas a morning coffee shop is people on their way to work, people trying to get somewhere,” Leifson said.
Barista Tristan Jemsek said he has worked in coffee for 20 years, and has also played in two bands, Dogbreth and Diners, that performed at a coffee shop where And Destroy owner Ryan Peterson worked. According to Jemsek, the social aspect of working at And Destroy has been a great experience.
“The staff and customer base are just full of total sweeties,” Jemsek said. “It’s just a wonderful place to be.”
Returning customer Alex Sosa said the drinks add to And Destroy’s appeal — they order something different each time.
“I always just get the seasonal things, which is majority Hōjicha, chai and non-espresso stuff,” Sosa said. “Because the drinks cycle so much, I always just get the seasonal things.”
Sosa is the founder of the Glassell Park Board Gamers, a group of around 60 people who come together to play board games every Friday and Sunday.
“It’s complete strangers, everyone’s open, everyone’s welcome and the variety of people is quite large,” Sosa said.
Sosa said they have held online gaming groups, but never had the courage to bring the group together in person.
“I tried to lose all fear of walking up to people and saying, ‘Hey, you’re playing this board game. I’m starting a group, do you want to join?’” Sosa said.
According to Sosa, members of the board game group own anywhere from 12-60 board games each. Those who come bring a handful of games they want to play, and the group will select one for the session, Sosa said.
“It’s based on who’s actually here and their tastes,” Sosa said. “We bring out the board games onto the table, and it’s just ‘What do you want to play?’ The variety is quite large, but primarily nature-themed games, and heavier games that take up to three hours.”
Sosa said the Glassell Park Board Gamers have built up a relationship with the employees at And Destroy. Since some games run for hours, the group strives to give patronage to the coffee shop, Sosa said.
“The baristas are very kind and check in with us,” Sosa said. “They now know us as regulars, so we try to chat with them, and when they’re not working, they might join in on a couple of games.”
Jemsek said he finds And Destroy a wonderful place to be and a great place to work.
“Just the other day, someone was sick and they asked if I could come in and cover,” Jemsek said. “It wasn’t one of those things where I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that.’ I was like ‘Actually, yeah, that sounds fun.”
According to Leifson, they had worked with Peterson before and enjoy doing so again. Leifson said seeing the team come together and customers become regulars has been a privilege.
“I like my coworkers, I like the regulars — I just like all the people,” Leifson said. “I really like having a chance to get to work with [Peterson] again. I love the team that we put together for our opening here. I love being a space where people can come and just chill.”
Contact Abigail Montopoli at montopoli@oxy.edu
