Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Barrancas.
Hi Jose, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Everything started as a dream. It began when I left my home country of Venezuela to escape the political turmoil and to be able to pursue my dreams of owning my own business without restriction. When I finally made it to Los Angeles, I was 24 years old, recently divorced in a city that I didn’t know anything about as I had moved from New York a few months earlier. The dream was inside me, but I hadn’t conceptualized it yet. I had a culinary background, and I knew I wanted to pursue something related to it. To give some perspective I was driving for Lyft to make a living and working at least 7 AM to 9 PM 6 days a week. That was when talking to my passengers the idea of a coffee shop conquered my mind.
I started building the business plan and intuitively without any doubt believed in the dream. There wasn’t anything I could lose in the process since looking back at my history I had just been working for all sorts of food establishments and the only thing left to prove was to show all that I’ve learned by then (6-7 years of experience).
Imagine, being in a completely different environment and trying to make it yours – seems uphill right?? Well, that’s exactly what moved me. Since a very young age, I’ve been very competitive and enjoy the challenges of complex goals. To say this was a challenge is an understatement. I was working full days to pay the bills at Lyft and another coffee shop, while also managing subcontractors who were building the shop of my dreams and going there after work to add my own efforts until late at night. At times, 16 hours -18 hours of work didn’t seem enough to accomplish the goal.
For some, it seemed like an impossible mission, for me it was the task of my life that I was willing to pursue with all my strength and dedication.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To me, a smooth road was never on my radar. When I committed to achieving my dream, I knew that hard times and the challenges those times presented would help my dream flourish stronger. I don’t think it’s bold to say that no business owner has ever had a smooth road. But how you overcome the challenges shows your measure of success. And five years after opening, through a world pandemic, I am here today telling you my story and to me that is a massive success.
We’ve been impressed with Mestizo Coffee Co., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Mestizo Coffee Co is a coffee shop and roaster in East Hollywood. The shop was built on the idea of forming a community and that community starts with the employees. I wanted the employees to truly feel part of a team and have pride and take responsibility for the place they work. These feelings in turn create friendly employees that the community wants to interact with. Frankly, we have built a family between me, the employees, and our customers.
The shop itself offers a diverse coffee menu including signature drinks and food items. One of our signature drinks is called the “Moreno”. The name describes its color, with a unique blend of citrus and espresso, designed for the curious who enjoy coffee but are looking to break up the monotony of the typical coffee menu. We also have a full display of retail items sourced from small business owners for customers to peruse while waiting for their coffee.
Our pride and joy, however, are our coffee beans. We began roasting our coffee a few years ago and our are proud to offer beans from around the world with a complex and smooth flavor. We offer our beans for sale and also have a bean subscription option offered online.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
For all of those that are reading this, that found my story interesting, I want to encourage faith. We can always have faith in the unknown, as long as our inner self allows us. I would love for people to take this story as motivation to accomplish their own dreams and goals, to never assume what could happen in the future, but instead create your own future without hesitation.
And come visit our shop! We’d love to hear your story.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mestizocoffeeco.com
- Instagram: @mestizocoffee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mestizo-Coffee-Co/100082072470655/
Image Credits
Kelsey Law
