A Perfect Blend
Alfred Coffee baristas can do it all—macchiatos, mochas, Americanos with cold foam, flat whites, half-cafs, you name it. And don’t forget the chain’s signature “world-famous vanilla latte,” served iced or hot, regular or sugar-free. But when CEO Josh Zad bellies up to the counter, his order is decidedly uncomplicated and in harmony with Alfred’s trademarked motto: But First, Coffee.
“I’m at level zero on the complexity scale when it comes to my coffee,” Zad says, laughing. “I like a nice drip with half-and-half—no whole milk, almond milk or oat milk! If I don’t have half-and-half, I freak out. It’s my non-negotiable!”
A self-described “old-fashioned pot-of-coffee guy,” Zad has a no-nonsense manner when it comes to his daily habit that is akin to his “no brainer" approach to supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Born and raised in L.A., he says he connected with CHLA initially because of its deep roots within the city for more than 120 years, and because the mission aligns with his beliefs.
“There’s nothing more important to me than the health of our city’s children and their future,” says Zad, a father of two young girls. “It feels natural and compelling and almost impossible to not want to support such an important cause and such an important group of people.”
New beginnings
It wasn’t long after opening the first Alfred Coffee in West Hollywood that Zad became involved with CHLA in 2016. The hospital’s inaugural Make March Matter campaign, a monthlong initiative that brings local businesses and the community together through a variety of fundraising programs and events, resonated with his cafe’s concept.
“Alfred was created to be a place for the community to gather while enjoying the beautiful street of Melrose Place,” Zad explains. “The timing of the campaign was perfect, and it was a really great match from the beginning for two upstarts.”
Alfred’s first fundraiser involved a social media campaign with a collaborative Make March Matter coffee sleeve. Each time a person posted a photo of their coffee sleeve on social media with #MakeMarchMatter, Alfred donated $1 to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Customers also had the option to make donations at the register. That first year, Alfred raised $5,000.
Since then, all of Alfred’s 18 Los Angeles-area locations support the Make March Matter campaign. How customers can choose to participate in the campaign has grown from collaborative coffee sleeves to a special lavender latte and personalized CHLA butterfly placards displayed on the walls all month long. The annual March tradition has generated enthusiasm at the cafes and a palpable delight with Alfred customers.
“Since we started collecting the personalized butterflies a couple years ago, our various cafes have gotten creative in how to display them, which has led to a bit of friendly competition among the teams,” Zad says. “Customers also love them and some even decorate two or three. It’s a great way to show your support for the campaign and have your name on the wall of your favorite Alfred. It seems like something very simple, but it galvanizes our team and our customers and creates a lot of buzz.”
The flurry of butterfly activity during March has been good for business, too, he adds. “The lavender latte became so popular that we made it a permanent part of our menu. People were like, ‘Why is this only in March?’ We learned from the excitement!”
Spreading the butterfly wings, Zad also learned that giving back was contagious, and he was determined to enlist other Los Angeles-area businesses to support Make March Matter.
“The L.A. restaurant community is small and especially when calling on each other to participate in something so worthy,” he explains. “It was important to me for the campaign’s ninth year to make myself accountable and bring five other businesses into the fold to raise money for CHLA.”
The five businesses Zad enlisted collectively raised $50,000 in 2024 and have pledged to participate again in 2025. To date, Alfred’s Make March Matter activations since the start of the campaign nine years ago have raised more than $150,000 for CHLA. But he wants to do more.
“It’s never enough! Next year, for the 10th campaign, I want to bring in 10 new partners,” Zad says, promising that he’s brewing up new and exciting ways for Alfred employees and customers to rally for the cause.
“We are definitely going to make year 10 the biggest and most successful yet!” he declares. “We are going to work with our team members early on for their buy-in, and when they are bought in, our customers are bought in.”
In January 2024, Zad further solidified his commitment to CHLA by becoming a member of the hospital’s Foundation Board of Trustees. “It’s an exceptional honor,” he says, noting that his heartfelt affection for CHLA stems from its relatability to the kind of culture he fosters at Alfred.
“At Alfred, it’s a job, yeah, but it’s also a family, and we take care of each other,” Zad explains. “I see the same thing at CHLA. There’s so much consistency and tenure, and that means a lot in terms of how much they love taking care of people and how much they believe in their larger mission.”
Building a legacy
Reflecting on the life and career he has built in Los Angeles, Zad feels the significance of this moment in time. Growing up, his parents instilled in him the importance of giving back, and through his education at a Jewish day school, those values were reinforced.
“I learned about the concept of tzedakah, which goes beyond charity to encompass justice and righteousness,” he says. “We were taught that giving is not just a choice but a responsibility to help those in need and to contribute to the betterment of our community.”
As Zad has gotten older and started a family of his own, he is leading by example as he teaches his children that same ideology. “I have started to think more about my legacy and what I’ve done in the long term,” he says. “But how do I hold myself accountable to be a better person and a better leader in the Los Angeles community?
Being committed to the hospital for so many years, being a part of Make March Matter and now being on the Board is the best thing that could happen to me. It’s really grand and really special.”
