Beats and brew: Indie record store finds a new home inside Orange coffee shop

There was a time when alternative music and coffee shops very much went together.

“I guess it comes from the Seattle grunge days,” said Owen Ela, owner of independent record store Resident Vinyl.

That relationship has returned, at least in the city of Orange, since Resident Vinyl opened its new location inside Contra Coffee and Tea.

Located at 115 N. Orange St., the coffee house has long been a popular place for students of nearby Chapman University to study and hang out.

Contra Coffee in Old Towne Orange. The indie record shop Resident Vinyl has opened at the coffee house.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“Contra is a rad spot, and the tables are full all day, with students and their laptops. It is a constant stream of students and people from the community,” said Ela.

Resident Vinyl first opened in 2023 in Santa Ana, its name a cheeky reference to the fact that Ela’s store was on the first floor of his loft. Opening a record store seemed natural for Ela, who has a deep background in the music industry.

“In high school, I was managing my friend’s band, it all kind of started there,” he said. “I was the guy who was never good enough to play in a band, but I really wanted to be part of it so I ended up managing my friend’s punk band in the late ’90s.”

Owen Ela stands next to album bins at Resident Vinyl inside Contra Coffee in Old Towne Orange.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

He would go on to lead a career in music marketing, working for Epitaph Records, Goldenvoice, Live Nation and later becoming the marketing manager at the Observatory, a Santa Ana music venue.

When Resident Vinyl opened, it joined a band of both new and used record stores in Orange County that cater to all music tastes and budgets.

This summer, the shop moved to its new home in a roughly 250-square-foot shop set up at the back of Contra, a box-light sign directing people to its narrow doorway.

“This is a much better location for us, and we really want to put all our energy and efforts on this spot,” said Ela.

Resident Vinyl sells new records, and the inventory is highly curated.

“It is a small space so we are definitely very picky about what we stock. Everything is hand-picked to what we are into currently,” said Ela, describing his inventory as “all killer and no filler.”

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a wide selection. A mix of genres includes artists like Kendrick Lamar, Haim, Thurndercat and Chappell Roan. Ela said he employs the same discerning ear he used to use when curating a music festival, and the result is an eclectic collection that hits many notes. If there is anything that music lovers are looking for that he doesn’t have, Ela said he is happy to try and track it down. Of course, he also stocks what he refers to as the “classics.”

“Nirvana, Sonic Youth and the Smiths,” he said.

Besides records, Resident Vinyl sells vintage band tees, audio equipment and refurbished turntables, all things the former space didn’t have room to stock.

Ela said it’s important that Resident Vinyl remain an approachable shop, where customers can ask questions and not feel intimated if they aren’t audiophiles. The customers that shop at the store tend to skew younger, and some of them are just getting into vinyl.

Album bins at Resident Vinyl inside Contra Coffee in Old Towne Orange.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“There are a lot of kids who are getting into records who grew up in the streaming world,” said Ela. “That’s really kind of our people.”

In the short two months the shop has been open at its new location, Ela has thought of some improvements he would like to make, like installing a window near the register that can double as a DJ booth. Overall, he said pairing the record store with Contra Coffee was the right move.

“Coffee and vinyl records are a perfect match.” he said.