Sugarbird Cafe

3405 Ocean View Blvd, Glendale CA 91208

818-239-7559

Located at the end of Ocean View Blvd, Next to Schreiner’s Deli and Berolina’s

parking available in front of the stores or side streets

ANNOUNCEMENT

It is with a full heart that I share the bittersweet news: Sugarbird Cafe is closed and will only be available for off-site catering, online ordering and wholesale services.

This space was always more than a cafe. It was the continuation of a dream that began at farmers markets—lugging tents and trays of matcha scones that people mistook for “green pot scones”—back when matcha in baked goods was still new. Over time, it grew into something more: a movement to redefine tea time as a casual, creative, and deeply comforting way to connect and be present in an ever-digital world.

Before the cafe, before the tea kits—we were catering high-end afternoon tea events for celebrities, event planners, and direct customers who discovered us at farmers markets or online. From Beverly Hills rooftops to backyard celebrations, we poured the same love into every detail: scones, teas, florals, tableware, and joyful settings to celebrate life’s most memorable moments.

When COVID hit and gathering in person became impossible, we pivoted with purpose. We wrapped our afternoon tea bentos in hand-dyed shibori furoshiki—dyed, ironed, and folded by me and my boys with the help of our team. These kits were created to preserve rituals like father-daughter tea time, even from afar. When shipping spiraled into chaos (as it often did), my husband and our dearest friends would make overnight drives to San Francisco and Las Vegas to deliver that Sugarbird touch in person. That’s the heart of this brand—love, hustle, and handmade joy.

In 2021, we opened our Montrose cafe—a tiny, cheerful pink haven where the aroma of freshly baked scones greeted everyone who walked in. It was a shift from the industrial kitchen in Lincoln Heights we built with hopes of scaling wholesale production for grocery stores. That chapter didn’t unfold as we envisioned, but something more personal and magical came instead: a cozy space filled with celebration, reconnection, and sweet moments shared.

To our incredible customers—thank you. You invited us into your weddings, baby showers, birthdays, office parties, Zoom tea breaks at Google, inspiring law firm gatherings, your children’s lunchboxes—and even celebration of life events for lovers of tea time and our scones. You welcomed Sugarbird into your homes and hearts, and for that, I am endlessly grateful.

To my greatest cheerleader—my husband—thank you for believing in Sugarbird and in me. From long drives to whispered encouragements to keep going, your unwavering support gave this dream its wings.

To Sophia—thank you for bringing charm, grace, and heart to our cafe. From perfectly pairing teacups and tablecloths to deeply resonating with our community (yes, even the occasional difficult reviewer), you created a space where people felt seen and comforted.

To Norma—our head baker—thank you for building and nurturing a bakery team that worked with joy, precision, and heart. Your dedication ensured our scones remained what they’ve always been: the most delicious scones you'll ever taste. I feel incredibly lucky to have grown Sugarbird alongside you. And who knows—perhaps the next chapter awaits us in Japan. I'd love nothing more than to bring a bit of California sunshine and cultural richness to the tea scene there with this very team.

This has always been a human project. Not one with deep pockets, but one fueled by deep love—from our team, from our customers, from those who believed in a simple idea: that tea time can be a modern-day ritual to ground us, gather us, and remind us of the beauty in small moments.

We may rise again, like the hinotori (phoenix), with renewed purpose and a stronger team. If you—or someone you know—has a tea shop, bakery, or cafe and wants to carry forward the Sugarbird spirit, we’re open to conversations. Maybe your timing is just right.

Until then, thank you—for showing up, for believing in us, for being part of the Sugarbird story.

With love and deepest gratitude,
Kei Okumura
Chief Scone Officer & Founder
Sugarbird Sweets and Teas

We look forward to serving you! ;)

Cheers! Sugarbird Sweets Team.

Prefer not to wait in line?

Place your orders for pick up or delivery HERE

TEXT US FOR RESERVATIONS OR EVENTS

AT 818-282-7299 FOR BEST RESPONSE TIME

WALK INS ALSO WELCOME

HOURS :

TUESDAY - SUNDAY, 830AM TO 4PM,

open till 5PM ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS

CLOSED MONDAYS

WE HOST AFTERNOON TEA IN THE COURTYARD

MAKE GIFT BASKETS FOR ALL OCCASIONS AND SHIP NATIONWIDE

MAKE YOUR TEA RESERVATION THROUGH TEXT

offering special events and gatherings for 6 or more

It all started in South Pasadena when…

we finally got a stand at the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market 10 years ago with a small line of batch blended teas and scones. Wanting to create a way for folks to enjoy a casual gathering with simple, delicious, (not dry) moist scones with Californian inspired flavors. We’ve been offering catering and wholesale services in Los Angeles with our scones, teas and afternoon tea catering for events until the pandemic hit, which turned our world around to pivot in order to get our customers a way to enjoy our services nationwide with our e-commerce shop.

We offered Afternoon tea with sandwiches and scones, tea time treats across the nation for Google, Apple, law, financial offices across the nation. During this time the world changed once again, we realized how much we missed our connecting with our customers from the markets and decided in 2022 to open our brick and mortar specializing in all things scones and tea. We found a small ice cream shop to convert into our own humble Sugarbird Cafe, offering simple tea time treats and teas to grab and go for folks to enjoy outdoors. We love our community here in Montrose and grateful to our customers for the warmest welcome. We are looking forward to providing more al-fresco settings for people to gather and connect as warmer weather allows for outdoor gatherings.

Thank you for having us here.

Kei and the Sugarbird Team