# Loto Coffee Shop in Echo Park

> A Los Angeles family turns their home into a Mexican-Japanese coffee shop with MEHKO.
- Title: Loto Coffee Shop in Echo Park · domino | Shortify
- Summary: A Los Angeles family turns their home into a Mexican-Japanese coffee shop with MEHKO.
- Keywords: loto, echo park, los angeles, mehko, japanese coffee, mexican coffee, altura beans, santa canela bakery, mehto program, home kitchen, coffee shop, bungalow
- Source: domino — https://domino.com/design-inspiration/loto-coffee-los-angeles-home
- Author: Lydia Geisel
- Published: 2026-10-24T08:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: loto, echo park, los angeles, mehko, japanese coffee, mexican coffee, altura beans, santa canela bakery, mehto program, home kitchen, coffee shop, bungalow
## Loto Coffee Shop
Loto is a coffee shop inside a Los Angeles bungalow in Echo Park neighborhood.
## Family Ownership
Julian Scharman and Stephanie Hong live with their two children in the bungalow.
## Mexican-Japanese Coffee
Loto serves Mexican coffees with Japanese touches using Altura beans from Chiapas.
## MEHKO Program
L.A.'s MEHKO program allows residents to legally prepare and sell meals from home kitchens.
## Home Kitchen Setup
Scharman and Hong obtained food handler permits and coordinated inspections for their home kitchen.
## Hand-Whisked Matcha
Scharman offers hand-whisked matcha menu to connect with his Japanese heritage.
## Home Renovation
Alta Projects renovated the 1,000-square-foot home for Loto coffee shop.
## Kitchen and Dining
They installed stainless steel surfaces and a dining banquette for the coffee shop.
## Bathroom Expansion
They expanded the bathroom to twice its original size by sacrificing the kids' bedroom closet.
## Backyard Design
They added a long bench for outdoor seating and native California plants in the backyard.
## Coffee Training
Scharman trained as a barista in Mexico City for 15 days before opening Loto.
## Family Experience
Hong and Scharman say Loto has improved their lives by meeting neighbors and playing with other children.
## Key takeaway

Julian Scharman and Stephanie Hong run Loto, a Mexican-Japanese coffee shop in Echo Park, Los Angeles, using their home kitchen under L.A.'s MEHKO program.