Social media influencer Emma Chamberlain launched a coffeeshop in Los Angeles this week, in partnership with her talent agency.
The YouTube star first launched a coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee, in 2019, which has been a mail-order business. The new Chamberlain Coffee Café in Westfield Century City mall is the first brick-and-mortar outlet with a menu of hot and cold coffee drinks, as well as matcha, pastries and, of course whole bean coffees and other merch.
Chamberlain, who has more than 12 million subscribers on YouTube (14.8 million followers on Instagram and 487,000 on TikTok), is known for posting about fashion (and clothing overload), her hair, travels and other daily travails of being a hugely famous influencer.
The café was created in partnership with UTA Ventures, a division of the Los Angeles-based talent agency representing Chamberlain. UTA Ventures develops “talent-founded companies” and invests in promising startups, the agency said on its website.
No other restaurant concepts are noted, but UTA Ventures has partnered with Post Malone on a rosé, and the Jonas brothers on a popcorn brand.
Fans lined up for hours to review the new Chamberlain café this week, which is already generating significant social media buzz.
Restaurants big and small have worked to tap into the viral world of social media by partnering with influencers, but few influencers have made the jump into restaurant operation.
YouTube star MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, made headlines for launching the MrBeast Burger concept in 2020 and 2021, which was mostly a virtual brand operated by Virtual Dining Concepts. Donaldson later sued to end his agreement and shut the operation down. One physical unit is open at American Dream Mall in New Jersey.
Influencer Tabitha Brown is associated with the vegan restaurant Kale My Name in Chicago.
Chamberlain and UTA Ventures did not immediately respond to requests for more information. It’s unclear whether more locations are planned.
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