Today we’d like to introduce you to Diego Lopez.
Hi Diego, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Raised in Monterey Park/East Los Angeles and went to public school k-12. I was raised in a small, loving family of four, two parents, two children brought up primarily in the suburbs and knew that we wanted to get further education. Both myself and my brother attended Cal State University of Northridge and graduated. I finished in Business, my brother in engineering. I have always known that Entrepreneurship was my calling; I am risking everything to start with this small business in hopes of being recognized as one of Los Angeles’ business leaders in the industry. I would like to continue down this path and work as hard as I can to see how much I can grow while giving all that I have back into my community, serving my neighborhood the same way that the world has taken care of me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. High School was challenging as I was still discovering myself and trying to understand how I fit into the world and how I can possibly be someone who is contributing. I was in extracurricular activities like marching and jazz band and sports like basketball while also understanding how business and sales worked, often selling boxes of candy and chips, doing whatever I can to make profit for myself and my family. I was also helping at recycling drives, volunteering at events, fulfilling my religious duties like Catholic Confirmation and going on church retreats, and just trying to be happy while committing to having friends. I wasn’t a genius in any of my classes but I was never afraid of hard work. That and discipline have propelled me.
After high school, I knew that I wanted to continue my education and Cal State Northridge accepted me. This next chapter was not easy either. I now had to juggle school with work full time so that I could afford my lifestyle now that I was an adult. This was a rollercoaster of a time but I finally finished after a couple of years and like many of my peers, I now had to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I took many positions at many different corporate entities and firms, constantly climbing that corporate ladder at but I now want to challenge myself even further and see if I can become successful through my self-made actions.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Barclays Coffee & Tea?
Barclays Coffee & Tea is a community Cafe in the Northridge area of the San Fernando Valley. We specialize in top-shelf coffee roasts and one of the largest organic loose leaf tea selections in all of Los Angeles. We also have a full kitchen serving mainly breakfast and lunch delicacies. We have been around since 1973, with a rich history of live music, poetry, art showcases, and farmer’s market pop-up events. We are a small business, independently owned, serving and loving our community. I am especially proud of the relationships that we continue to build with our neighborhood, our schools, our churches, our law enforcement, our friends. We offer discounts to all students and alumni of Cal State Northridge as that is the school that has nurtured me and educated me.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am open working with everyoone. I love to collaborate with musicians and bands, often coordinating musical events and live performances. I love to collaborate with artists, sculptors, and painters and coordinate showcases and gallerias. I love to collaborate with other vendors and put on farmer’s market events and pop-up booths. I love to collaborate with specialty contractors, teachers/professors, authors and writers, and other entrepreneurs and coordinate workshops, making the cafe available as a venue of choice.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.barclayscoffeeandtea.com
- Instagram: barclays_coffee
- Facebook: Barclays Coffee
- Twitter: coffee_barclays
- Yelp: Barclays Coffee & Tea
