Exploring Life & Business with Vanessa Solis of Solis Coffee Co. LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Solis.

Hi Vanessa, 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?
My journey with coffee started back in 2006, 20 years ago. I was 17 years old and landed my dream job at Starbucks where I worked towards becoming an Assistant Store Manager. When the 2008-2009 economic crash led to layoffs and store closures, Starbucks paused my development. I decided to step away and pursue a college degree. In the meantime, I spent the next five years in retail, eventually becoming a Store Manager. I graduated college with a major in Business Administration, Management.

In 2016, I found my way back to Starbucks as an Assistant Store Manager. I spent several more years growing and gaining experience in operations, customer service, running a high-volume stores. Eventually, I became a Store Manager. In 2024, my career unexpectedly came to an end after a slip-and-fall injury forced me to step away.

During that transition, I started thinking seriously about a dream I’d had for years : owning my own coffee shop. I asked my brother if he would take the leap with me. In December 2024, we launched Solis Coffee Co. Our very first pop-up was actually a hospital event expecting up to 400 guests, which was quite the way to learn! That experience encouraged us to start our home-based coffee pop-up, first opening only on weekends.

Today, we typically operate 4-5 days a week and have expanded into school fundraisers, community events, private events, and catering, and now 3 more family members have joined our team. More than anything, we’re grateful for the neighbors, teachers, families, and loyal customers who continue to show up and support us. Our Instagram community has also grown to more than 5,500+ followers.

As we approach our second anniversary this December, I sometimes think about the 17-year-old version of myself who considered Starbucks her dream job. I don’t think she could have imagined that one day she’d be building a coffee business of her own. Owning a business is a never-ending learning experience, but I’m incredibly grateful for how far we’ve come and excited about what’s ahead for Solis.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. I came into this with years of coffee and management experience, but I quickly learned that managing for a large company and owning a small business are completely different. At Starbucks, there was always a system, a department, or someone to call. As a small business owner, every decision and every problem ultimately comes back to you.

I also didn’t realize how much anxiety I had carried from working in such a fast-paced, high-volume environment until I left Starbucks. I was so accustomed to constantly troubleshooting, adjusting, and thinking about what could go wrong next. When I started experiencing those same feelings with my own business, I had to learn that I couldn’t operate in a constant state of urgency.

One of my biggest lessons has been that more isn’t always better. Being open more days, taking every opportunity, or saying yes to everything doesn’t necessarily make a business more successful. I’ve had to learn when to adjust, when to say no, and when to give ourselves time to reset. I’m still learning, but I think I’ve become much more intentional about building a business that is not only successful, but sustainable for us long-term.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Solis Coffee Co. LLC?
Solis Coffee Co. is a Latina-owned, family-run coffee business specializing in specialty coffee and matcha. We put a lot of care into what we serve, using quality ingredients and making most of our syrups, sauces, cold foams, horchata, and other components in-house.

We started Solis because we felt there was a need for it in our own community. My brother and I come from a family that loves coffee, but we often found ourselves driving outside of our area to find the kind of quality and experience we were looking for. We wanted to create that closer to home.

Since then, the local coffee scene, especially home-based coffee businesses, has grown tremendously, which I think is a beautiful thing. What I believe sets Solis apart is the experience we try to create. Great drinks are important, but so is how people feel when they come to us. We genuinely care about remembering our customers, learning what they like, being consistent, and making people feel welcomed.

I’m most proud that Solis has become more than somewhere to grab coffee. We’ve built relationships with our neighbors, local families, teachers and schools, and have been able to serve our community through our home pop-up, fundraisers, community events, private events, and catering. We want Solis to feel like a neighborhood coffee shop, even though our version of a coffee shop looks a little different.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that might surprise people is the different sides of me. When it comes to Solis, I’m very business-minded and focused, probably more work than play. I love interacting with our customers, getting to know them, and building those relationships, but ask me to record myself or create content, and I become incredibly uncomfortable!

The funny part is that I’m the complete opposite outside of work. I’m outspoken, loud, I love to dance, and I’m definitely not shy. I’ve always kept my work life and personal life pretty separate, so I think people who only know me through Solis would probably be surprised to see that side of me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soliscoffeeco.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soliscoffee.co/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iC2Hwlk-ZI
• Other: https://lataco.com/latino-owned-coffee-pop-ups-los-angeles