At Relapse Killer Brews coffee bar and speakeasy, it’s not really about the coffee.
Sure, there are the four crowd-pleasing drinks that owner Ruben Corvera perfected with the help of his daughter Devin. The Silver Bullet caramel latte, also known as banana bread in a cup, is a bestseller.
“Coffee is just something that kind of made this happen,” he said, taking in the cozy, spooky Victorian ambiance of what he designed to be an artistic gathering space for all.
At Relapse, setting is everything. It’s the space that sets Whittier’s newest hangout spot apart. To get to Relapse, at 13107 Hadley St., you walk to the left of a teal blue house past a cozy courtyard to the Gothic structure tucked in the back lot. If the door is closed, use the frowning demon door knocker to gain entrance.
Inside, Corvera installed dramatic marbled flooring and painted dark walls hold up Halloween-perfect art, including a life-sized painting of Vigo the Carpathian, “the Scourge of Carpathia, and the Sorrow of Moldavia,” ready to come to life as it did in “Ghostbusters II.” But there is also a large copy of Gainsborough’s “The Blue Boy” and its matching “Pinkie” by Sir Thomas Lawrence, inherited from Corvera’s grandmother.
Pieces from “Gentleman of Fortune Tattoo Company,” Corvera’s old tattoo shop on Leffingwell and First also dot the dark aesthetic.
Then there is the “Dead Smile” art inspired by a pen drawing of a large-eyed Goth-y girl by Devon Corvera, who helped inspire her father into this next chapter of his life.
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Ruben Corvera, owner of The Wolf and Witch Art Collective and Lifestyle and Relapse Killer Brews coffee bar and speakeasy serves up coffee on Wednesday October 28, 2026. The speakeasy coffee bar features Halloween vibes and offers a simple menu with 4 signature drinks. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
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Ruben Corvera, owner of The Wolf and Witch Art Collective and Lifestyle and Relapse Killer Brews coffee bar and speakeasy serves up coffee on Wednesday October 28, 2026. The speakeasy coffee bar features Halloween vibes and offers a simple menu with 4 signature drinks. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
Ruben Corvera, 50, was born in Fountain Valley and raised in Whittier, a punk rock-loving skateboarder who eventually joined the Navy at 19. Finding himself a young dad after his Navy discharge, Corvera said his first purpose was to make sure his children were cared for.
“I was a young dad, you know, trying to make sure the kids were steady, had the American dream, right?” he said. “That steady paycheck and insurance, we all fell into that.”
Corvera worked for the gas company, retiring from the utility when his son and daughter were grown.
“Has it ever been me?” he said of the standard day-to-day grind. “Absolutely not. I never wanted to get stuck in a 9-to-5, but I had to do what I had to do. That’s why I was tattooing in the evening, slowly building a business.”
Corvera, who is also a musician, bought the Hadley Street house 15 years ago, turning the ugly backyard with its five-car parking lot into an outdoor area and speakeasy space that includes a spot from which Uno Mas by Niko serves up smashburgers, tacos, quesadillas and breakfast sandwiches on weekends.
“I wanted to create a space for artists and for everybody, so people will come here and play the guitar, they’ll talk to someone and I’ll see friendships get made here, which is really cool,” Corvera said. “There’s always music back here, and people hanging at the bar eating and drinking their coffee.”
It’s best to check Relapse’s Instagram @relapsecoffeebrews to confirm shop hours, in keeping with the speakeasy, “do your thing” vibe Corvera enjoys in early retirement. With his 28-year-old son raising his own family, and his daughter in college, he needed to keep busy.
“I get to hang out with my friends every day now. They come here and we just kick it,” Corvera said.
His staff of four keep things running, especially on the busy weekends, when people stop by for coffee, creative company, and the Dead Smile apparel made in-house. Corvera’s art collective, called The Wolf & Witch, is also represented in the space, which has welcomed bands and artisans for pop-ups.
The goal is to have time to travel, another one of Corvera’s passions. He and his friend Adrian Cuellar, 41, have plans to go to Germany next, maybe Prague and Scotland after.
“This guy, he’s a musician, he tattoos, he prints stuff. He’s like an artist in many different ways,” Cuellar, a resident of Whittier, said. “He’s really talented and a super nice guy.”
The two met about six years ago at Corvera’s tattoo shop and have become friends, with Cuellar sporting Corvera’s artwork on his arms, legs and chest. The two bond over their regular lives, all over coffee, of course.
“We’re both dads so we talk about a lot of things, and he’s helpful, and a really good friend,” Cuellar said.
Music and good people are the common grounds Corvera savors these days.
“It seems like everyone who comes through here, they’ve been respectful,” he said. “No one leaves a mess.”
Many of Relapse Coffee’s 18,000 social media followers have made their pilgrimage into Whittier and posted about it online. The explosion of support has been organic, and sweet, Corvera said.
Just like the coffee, if you like it that way, and just like Corvera’s new business, a mix of all his loves.
