New owners to preserve old style Java Man, Ocean Diner
by Laura Garber Patrick Mescall and Brian Eldridge pointed towards the lightly stained table in Hermosa Beach’s Java Man, the one by the large, white trimmed window. “All our hopes and dreams are at that table,” Mescall said. Like many Hermosa Beach residents, the South Bay Hospitality Group duo brainstormed project ideas and signed business deals at that table, including their nearly one-year-old Pier Plaza tiki bar and eatery, Tiki Kai. Their latest table deal made Mescall and Eldridge the new owners of Java Man and Ocean Diner. The cafe and diner were opened by beloved owner Rick Hankus, who passed away in November 2025. He opened Ocean diner in 1986 and Java man in 1992. Both became cultural institutions. “This became a coffee shop when there weren’t coffee shops,” Mescall said. “People saw them on the TV show “Friends” years after Java Man opened.” Mescall and Eldridge understand the sentimental connections made by the people of the neighborhoods. They also own Eat At Joe’s, Paddy O’Brien’s (formerly O’Hearns) and in January will reopen Torrance’s old Texas Loosey’s as Lucy’s. Mescall who has kids aged five and seven, and Eldridge who has a three and six year old, want the…
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