Inspiring Conversations with Scotty And Melvin of Tadaa Coffee – DREAM STEAM ESPRESSO MACHINE

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scotty And Melvin.

Hi Scotty and Melvin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Scotty and Melvin first connected through the LA/San Diego dance scene and quickly became lifelong friends, bonded by a shared love for community and creativity. Scotty, a dancer and performer, and Melvin, a social media specialist, officially teamed up in 2023 when Scotty had a vision: to inspire people to create what we call TADAA moments—those spontaneous bursts of joy, wonder, and connection.

That dream sparked the birth of @TADAA.Coffee but launching a coffee brand from scratch in a highly competitive space wasn’t easy. We hustled through pop-ups, slowly gaining traction, until one night, Scotty had a dream—literally. In it, he saw an experience that fused Burning Man art cars, music, and characters into a mobile coffee adventure.

One night a dream led to a sketch, which started the creation of our first mobile coffee art cart, built from Scotty’s SUPER73 e-bike. Over the next few months, we brought it to life with the help of LA-based builder Dai Hashiwaga, and The Dream Steam Espresso Machine was born—a steampunk-inspired coffee experience on wheels.

Since its debut, we’ve partnered with @HappierCamper and @HappierCafe.LA in Frogtown, creating a welcoming, family-friendly space, with a golden desert oasis vibe that feels like home yet calls to one’s adventurous nature. We’ve been teleporting to festivals, private events, and weddings, powered by our coffee and other magical elixirs (shoutout to @drinkRENUDE ). With our aim to uplift the community with live DJs, and stilt-walking performers like @rhythmstilters and @brewbeats.

This Coffee art cart and DJ pop-up experience is called the DREAM STEAM ESPRESSO MACHINE- We’re Aviators piolets from the past, time-traveled to the magical future realm of TADAAria, and now returned to the present to uplift, inspire, and co-create joy. TADAA Coffee is the first coffee and music entertainment experience of its kind—where every cup comes with a side of adventure. With our magical elixirs by @drinkRENUDE ), live DJs, and stilt-walking performers like @rhythmstilters and @brewbeats, we’re not just serving drinks—we’re creating TADAA moments that awaken the senses and spark wonder wherever we land.

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?
Not at all—it’s been a wild ride full of lessons, miracles, and growth.
One unforgettable moment happened during the Grand Soft Opening of Happier Café, right off the LA River bike path next to Happier Camper. Our espresso machine—the heart of our operation—just wouldn’t work. For an entire week, we battled issues with water pressure and flow. On the big day, minutes before doors opened, it was still malfunctioning. We were sweating bullets.
Then, magic happened.
Our first customer walked in and ordered an espresso. We crossed our fingers… and TADAA!—the machine kicked into gear perfectly, like it had been waiting for that exact moment. It was our first true TADAA moment, and the beginning of something special.
From there, we poured our hearts into creating experiential activations—from candlelight meditations with monks, a live podcast with JUSTTREK, and anniversaries with FOLAR and Frogtown Arts, to vibey collaborations with PARKS PROJECT and pop-ups at the Frogtown Flea Crawl. We even brought the LA Skate Hunniez out for a jam session on the Taylor Bridge. Each event connected us deeper to the beautiful Frogtown and LA community.
But with the highs came more challenges. Earlier this year, powerful winds—over 90 mph—hit the morning before the LA fires broke out. They tore through our café space. Melvin arrived first and was devastated to see the destruction. All the love, work, and dreams we’d built seemed to vanish overnight.
But the community showed up fast. Within hours, Angelenos came together to help clean, rebuild, and uplift us. That moment reminded us what this is all about: with community, we rise.
Together with Happier Camper, we’ve created a vibrant hub for families, creatives, and dreamers to gather, co-create, and make the world a little more joyful—one TADAA moment at a time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

At TADAA Coffee, we don’t just serve coffee—we create moments. We’re an immersive coffee and music entertainment experience that blends specialty elixirs, storytelling, and performance to spark joy and connection wherever we go.

Our flagship activation, The Dream Steam Espresso Machine, is a mobile steampunk-inspired art cart powered by music, movement, and magical brews. Think high-quality coffee and adaptogenic drinks served by characters in costume, with live DJs, dancing, and stilt walkers teleporting you to another dimension. Whether it’s a festival, wedding, community gathering, or pop-up, our mission is to create what we call TADAA moments—those feel-good bursts of wonder that make you smile from the inside out.

What sets us apart? It’s the fusion of entertainment and wellness, coffee and creativity. Our drinks aren’t just delicious—they’re designed to energize your body and uplift your spirit, using ingredients like Chaga Matcha and Reishi Cacao from RENUDE. And every activation tells a story—from our time-traveling aviators of TADAAria to our steampunk dreamscape that invites people to reimagine what a coffee experience can be.

We’re most proud of building a brand rooted in community. Whether we’re vibing in Frogtown at Happier Café, or igniting dance floors at festivals across California, we bring people together through intention, artistry, and connection.

We want readers to know: TADAA Coffee is more than a brand—it’s a vibe, a movement, and a growing community of creators and dreamers. If you’re looking to elevate your event, energize your guests, or simply experience something out of the ordinary… the Dream Steam is ready for takeoff.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Absolutely—this whole venture is a risk born from love.

Launching TADAA Coffee and building the Dream Steam Espresso Machine has been a full-hearted leap into the unknown. I’ve personally supported this project out of pocket—funding builds, events, and creative experiments with my own paychecks. I’m incredibly grateful to still have a teaching job that helps sustain me while I pour my energy into something I truly believe in.

To me, risk-taking isn’t about recklessness—it’s about answering a call. I was inspired by the desire to create more TADAA moments in the world—to remind people that we all have that spark, that AHA! inside us waiting to burst into something joyful, meaningful, and connected. The risk was choosing to follow that feeling, even when there was no roadmap, no guarantee.

And the reward? It’s in the magic we’re seeing unfold. From spontaneous connections at festivals to first-timers tasting our elixirs with wide eyes and big smiles, every moment becomes a story—a reminder that risk, when taken with heart, can ripple into something beautiful.

So yes, the risks have been real. But so has the purpose. And that’s what keeps us going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tadaa.coffee
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tadaa.coffee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tadaa.coffee

Image Credits
Anjelica Jardiel