At the end of 2019, having just opened a new business, Coffee Religion, on Charleston Blvd, Lotus Leeventan couldn’t have seen what was coming. Restaurateurs the world over were about to face COVID-19, quarantine, the inability to serve dine-in customers, and eventually, the new hybrid world of dine-in meets delivery.
“It was taking off really well, people loved to come in and relax, loved our coffee from the get-go,” Leeventan told What Now Las Vegas on Wednesday. And then everything changed.
“You have to adapt.”
And adapt Coffee Religion did, rolling out an expanded menu, focusing on dishes that delivered well, and in the process transforming the brand from a more standard coffee shop, to an Asian-inspired cafe offering an eclectic food menu, coffee drinks, and full tea service.
“It was just a simple idea of opening a cafe, and it turned into something much more,” Leeventan said. “And it’s good to see people reacting so quickly. We’re just growing and growing.”
And now Coffee Religion is preparing to expand with a new location in North Las Vegas, on Norman Rockwell Ln. The location will feature the same great coffee, tea service, and dishes taken from cuisines across Asia, plus a few new items.
Coffee Religion’s breakfast and lunch menu features dishes like the Tamago Sando (Our version of the Japanese Egg Salad sandwich with homemade Spicy Sesame Mayo) and Kaya Toast (World famous Singaporean style Toast with Kaya Jam and Sweet Cream Butter). Tea service features finger sandwiches, desserts like Cream au Chocolat, and a selection of teas that include Oolong Green, Golden Chai, and Moroccan Mint. The brand’s authentic Nepalese dumplings (available in pork and vegan varieties) are a must-try.
No set opening date is available yet, but the North Las Vegas Coffee Religion is expected to open this fall. In the meantime, visit the Charleston location to enjoy high tea and take a look at another of the brand’s attractions, the space’s 11-foot sculpture, “Padmasambhava,” created by an internationally-recognized family of sculpture artists, and Leeventan’s family, and transported by sea to Las Vegas.
