Cafe Business Suits Ex-Salesman

“I was tired of wearing a suit,” says Mike Hogan, a one-time computer salesman. When he saw pictures of a friend’s father’s restaurant in the Sacramento- and Folsom-based Java Centrale chain, he almost immediately decided to buy a franchise. So a year and a half ago, together with another friend (and now partner) Keoni Smith, he took off his suit and opened this coffee/sandwich/dessert place in Torrance just across from Del Amo Fashion Square. It’s a modern-looking cafe decked out in purple, yellow and black, highlighted by a counter full of desserts and muffins and a wall displaying coffee beans from around the world--India, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Zimbabwe, Sumatra, Hawaii, Colombia. And though it may be the coffee beans that Java Centrale is known for, this is also a popular spot for lunch, which brings in workers from nearby office buildings.

Many order one of Java’s salads, perhaps the antipasto salad ($4.15), with salami, red peppers, provolone and marinated artichokes, or the Greek chicken salad ($4.99), enlivened by Greek peppers, olives and feta.

The sandwiches, all served on fresh bread and rolls from the Pier Avenue Bakery, include one based on chicken breast with pesto, provolone, red bell peppers . . . and, rather oddly, alfalfa sprouts ($4.99). The ham and Swiss comes with artichoke hearts and a spicy Creole mustard and mayonnaise.

This is a place to save room for dessert, even if it means passing up a sandwich. Some of the cakes, like the mocha crunch, come from L.A. Mousse. The cheesecakes, from the Cheesecake Factory, include Heath Bar fudge, raspberry white chocolate, brownie fudge and pumpkin spice (all $3.15 a slice).

Of course, as any cheesecake purist knows, the only way to test the worth of a cheesecake is to sample the plain version. It’s not as good as my mom’s, but it’ll do.

Java Centrale is at 21223 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance. (310) 792-1755. Open Monday through Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.