Reinne’s Place: Owner Tommy Le creates Long Beach coffee shop to honor girlfriend killed in crash while helping others heal

LONG BEACH, Calif. () — A Long Beach coffee shop is serving more than drinks.

At Reinne’s Place, owner Tommy Le believes each cup is an opportunity to help customers heal – and to honor the woman who inspired the café.

Le opened the shop in memory of his late girlfriend, Reinne Lim, who was killed in October 2022 in a wrong-way crash on the 5 Freeway in Tustin.

An alleged drunk driver struck their car head-on, leaving Le critically injured.

“These 30 seconds do matter,” Le said. “I’m sometimes someone’s first interaction for the day. How can I make an impact on their day – just that day – and continue to do that every single day.”

Reinne’s Place currently operates as a long-term coffee residency inside Open Gallery, located a few minutes from the brand’s flagship location.

Le still remembers the night of the crash vividly.

“I remember seeing the lights coming and I think in that moment, I think anyone almost freezes,” he said. “I think my first reaction was to just grab her.”

Though his physical injuries have healed in the three years since, Le said he continues to mourn the loss of Lim.

At the café, customers are encouraged to leave “Reinne Checks” – handwritten messages dedicated to loved ones who have passed away or who remain part of their lives.

“They all hold their own story, but I think it showed people when you’re looking at this whole wall of ‘Reinne Checks’ or you look at this whole stack of ‘Reinne Checks’ is that we all have a lot more in common than we think we do,” Le said.

The coffee shop has also become a hub for local causes.

Earlier this month, Reinne’s Place raised nearly $1,000 for Oralé, an organization advocating for immigration rights, during the ICE Out rallies.

“It was one of our busiest days on record,” Le said. “The community showed up that day. We were able to raise almost $1,000 for Oralé, which was a beautiful thing.”

Le hopes Reinne’s Place will eventually become a permanent community space.

He said the residency will continue to operate until the shop’s brick-and-mortar location opens in early spring.