Couple Turns Home Into Buzzy LA Coffee Shop

Granada Cafe opens in the lower level of Sydney Wayser and Isaac Watters' Angelino Heights home, enabled by LA's new Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation permit.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Sydney Wayser and Isaac Watters, partners in business and life, have opened one of Los Angeles' buzziest new coffee shops, Granada, located in the lower level of their own home. The cafe was made possible by LA County's new Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) permit, which allows them to legally serve coffee and food out of their house, with limitations on staff and earnings. Wayser explains how the unique setup works, from bringing community into their home to managing the challenges of operating a business out of their personal living space.

Why it matters

The Granada Cafe represents a growing trend of small, community-focused businesses operating out of private homes, enabled by new regulations like the MEHKO permit. This model allows entrepreneurs to build businesses and connect with their local community in a more intimate, personal way, but also presents unique challenges around work-life balance and maintaining a private home space.

The details

Wayser and Watters, a creative couple who are partners in both business and life, decided to open Granada Cafe in the lower level of their Angelino Heights home after feeling isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of many of their favorite local businesses. The MEHKO permit allows them to legally serve coffee, pastries, and other food out of their house, with limitations on the number of staff and total annual earnings. The cafe features an open floor plan and indoor-outdoor space, which the couple designed with the intention of hosting parties and events. However, maintaining the home as a livable space for their 3-year-old daughter while also operating a public-facing business requires constant cleaning and resetting the space each morning.

  • Granada Cafe opened in early January 2026.
  • LA County introduced the MEHKO permit in 2025, enabling the couple to legally operate the cafe out of their home.

The players

Sydney Wayser

Co-owner of Granada Cafe and Wayser's partner in both business and life.

Isaac Watters

Co-owner of Granada Cafe and Wayser's partner in both business and life.

Sasha Piligian

Baker who provides pastries for Granada Cafe.

Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO)

A permit introduced by LA County in 2025 that allows residents to legally operate small food businesses out of their homes.

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What they’re saying

“Having someone come over and have tea and a pastry in your house—that's the coziest entry point to community space.”

— Sydney Wayser, Co-owner, Granada Cafe (Eater)

“We love and respect each other so much that if I were to say 'Let's do this' and Isaac said 'I don't know about that,' I would also feel like, Well, I really like his ideas, so I'm sure what he's saying is [right, too].”

— Sydney Wayser, Co-owner, Granada Cafe (Eater)

What’s next

The couple plans to continue operating Granada Cafe out of their home, balancing the demands of running a small business with maintaining their family life.

The takeaway

The Granada Cafe represents a growing trend of intimate, community-focused businesses operating out of private homes, enabled by new regulations like the MEHKO permit. This model allows entrepreneurs to build businesses and connect with their local community in a more personal way, but also presents unique challenges around work-life balance and preserving the sanctity of one's home.