Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryer Garcia.
Hi Bryer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Worked in retail/retail management for 15 years. Restaurants/Coffee/Bars ten years.
Born and raised in Long Beach, CA. I have a BFA in Photography from San Francisco State. Lived in SF for five years.
Lived in Los Angeles for ten years.
After working for many years in more than a couple of industries and miscellaneous jobs, I one day decided that I wanted to open my own business. My background was more retail and customer service related, but I also loved coffee. A few years of throwing the idea around and a solid year of just coffee shop research, I decided I wanted to try and do this. My father and I began this project back in 2017, with our official doors opening up in late summer of 2018. Let me tell you the process to open your own business to put it lightly “sucks”. It’s stressful, time-consuming, a huge learning curve and most of all financially draining! This process is not for everyone. I admire anyone who attempts this and actually succeeds. It’s intense! High risk, no guarantees, and sacrifice can sometimes be high in my case it was, but the reward is also worth it if you make it. I love what I do! To wake up everyday and love what you do is the most rewarding feeling.
Two out of the almost three years that we have now been open, I went through a divorce, losing everything and then came Covid-19. At this point, it felt like I should just give up. The last two years changed my life… I became more aware of everything in my life. My friends, my family, and anyone that I met. I started living day to day rather than always trying to control my future. I believe that living in the future is living in anxiety and living and thinking about the past is depression. I only control what I can and the rest is just life. Going through these gave me a sense of a harsh reality that nothing is guaranteed, but also never tackle anything for granted and own every decision you make, good or bad. It is not easy to live with this mindset, I had to go through all of this in order to be here. I tell my friends and family, “I am exactly where I am supposed to be”. Wolf’s Brew Coffee is here today, but it wasn’t easy…
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This was not easy.
It was and is the most challenging thing I have ever done, but with high risk comes high reward.
The reality of where I am is only because the hard work and sacrifice was real.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our family-owned coffee shop nestled in the suburbia part of Long Beach.
My father and I are the business partners. My brother Jai Garcia is the manager and future roaster of our business.
Through the years of drinking coffee, visiting coffee shops and traveling, I have learned what Coffee Culture is. Most people think that coffee is just coffee and in reality it is, but it’s also now an experience. Traveling to Europe and parts of Central America opened my eyes to this. Our family being Guatemalan and Salvadoran, they drink coffee not only for taste, but also for conversation. It brings people together in Europe it’s the same. Coffee is not just a cup its, culture, its conversation, its history and now more than ever, it’s an experience. In the United States, coffee is more “fuel” to get us through the day but as of late and now what is considered ‘Third Wave Coffee shops and cafes, coffee is now becoming more of a culture and experience as well.
Nothing was ever easy growing up… Parents were both immigrants, low income, grew up in the ghettos of Long Beach, but I never made excuses for my background or having to work a little harder to get what I wanted. My father always told me never to take for granted any job, be grateful you have one, if you are janitor, be the best janitor they have ever seen. Take pride in what you do and walk away saying to yourself, “I did everything I could and don’t leave with regrets. In other words, “Own your shit”.
Wolf’s Brew Coffee is not just a coffee shop. But it’s also about great customer service, quality drinks, and a spree that represents our family and a great experience. We know you can get coffee anywhere now, but you can only get what we do and how we do it in our shop 🙂
How do you define success?
Success can be a variation of things.
It can be setting a goal and accomplishing it.
It can be about status.
It can be monetary.
It can be happiness or can be all these things.
For me, success means being at peace with who you are and where you are at. None of these matters if you truly are not at peace with yourself… I consider myself successful because I took a chance and now I get to wake up every day and do what I love.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: wolfsbrewlb.com
- Instagram: wolfs brew_lb
Image Credits:
Photo Credit: Jaclyn Andrade IG: jaclynandradephotography
