Take It Easy Coffee Roasters – You’ve Never Drank Coffee Like This

There’s a German proverb which states the phrases ‘Take-It-Easy’ and ‘Live-Long’ are brothers. This motto makes a lot of sense – one must be able to relax and practice self care to ensure a life of leisure and hopeful longevity. 

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Chinatowns newest coffee shop, Take It Easy Coffee Roasters is the place for you to savor a long afternoon in a charming atmosphere, sipping on an artisanal coffee drink, while snacking on an authentic Colombian Cheese Bread, or Matcha Cake sprinkled with edible 24k gold flakes. 

Take it Easy is brought to you by the owner of Makers & Finders Coffee, Josh Molina. Makers & Finders currently has two Las Vegas locations – one in downtown’s Art District, and the second in Downtown Summerlin. 

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Molina’s infatuation with coffee began almost a decade ago when he discovered the world of specialty or ‘third wave’ coffee. He was immersed in the culture – researching, traveling, and experiencing coffee like he never had before. He learned the processes of espresso, the origins, and how to taste coffee.

“It’s like looking at coffee through the same lens you would with a really nice bottle of wine – you understand where it comes from, the elevation, the character, the notes,” Molina told Vegas News.

The original Makers & Finders debuted in the Arts District in 2014, it quickly became one of the highest rated coffee shops in Las Vegas. In 2017, he opened a second location in Downtown Summerlin. Later, Molina purchased a roasting facility in Chinatown to manufacture his own coffee beans.

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Last year, the space next to the roasting facility became vacant, which brought an opportunity for Molina to conjoin both the warehouse and the vacant venue and open a new coffee shop. 

“Take It Easy is a sister concept. The reason why we got the idea is I felt that Makers already had a certain name-brand and style, and I wanted to do something super focused and a little more unique,” said Molina. 

“Makers & Finders is already established, so that’s where Take It Easy came from.”

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Molina threw convention out the window when developing the new drink menu. He collaborated with Take It Easy’s manager and head roaster, Paris Cesena to create a variety of espresso-based “mocktails” inspired by popular cocktails. They will interchange some of the drinks seasonally, similarly to what high-end craft cocktail bars do. 

“We took these very classic cocktails that I love and enjoy myself, and we spun them,” said Molina. 

For example, the ingredients in the popular Gin Fizz cocktail are gin, fresh citrus juice, simple syrup, shaken egg whites, and club soda. Take It Easy’s Espresso Fizz contains emulsified egg whites, juniper infused honey, crushed dried juniper berries, topped with tonic water and finished with an orange peel.

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“We let the oils get out and ounces the notes hit your nose, you got a slight aftertaste of the orange oils,” said Molina. “And man, that mocktail came out incredible.”

Molina’s inspiration for the menu was derived from the independent coffee shops he visited in Thailand and Japan that were making high-level mocktails with espresso. He knew there was a void to be filled in Las Vegas to create something similar. 

It’s no coincidence that he chose Chinatown as the backdrop for his roasting warehouse facility. 

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“Chinatown has so many unique gems, there’s so much diversity in Chinatown,” said Molina. “If I can do these Colombian Cheese Breads and authentic things, there’s no other neighborhood it would work in other than Chinatown.”

Makers & Finders have gained a notable reputation for their arepas, empanadas and other Colombian specialties. For Take It Easy, he changed the focus to create an authentic Colombian bakery. They hired a Colombian baker to help develop their traditional pastries & cheese breads.

“They needed to be spot-on,” said Molina. “Because when you start claiming authenticity, people want to make sure.” The sweets menu was developed by their pastry chef, Ashley Avila. Her inventions include a Matcha Cakepop, Banana Bread Loaf 2.0, and the Carrot Cake Donut. 

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Molina and his team have been able to take the opening during the pandemic in stride. “Through hard work and dedication, we’ve been able to make it work,” he said. “It doesn’t feel as hard now, we’ve been able to pivot and make it work out for us.”

“I’m focusing on the future.”

Visit Take It Easy Coffee Roasters at 3540 S Wynn Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89103, open Monday- Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM and 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Saturday & Sunday. 

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