Meet Natalia Carrera

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Carrera.

Hi Natalia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey everyone, I’m Natalia, owner and founder of Blythe Coffee in Oakland, CA! My love for coffee started while living in New York City. New Yorkers are known for having their morning coffee and there are so many unique coffee shops in NYC, so I thought ‘why can’t I have one?” Years later I ended up in Oakland, CA and although I don’t have my own brick-and-mortar coffee shop yet, the marriage of Coffee & Plants has been nothing but euphoric!

The Coffee & Plant story is short but fun – One of the owners (Kalu G.) of Blk Girls Greenhouse and I were chatting one day about their upcoming nursery and I JOKINGLY said, “Hey I should sell my coffee there…” She goes “Yeah you should! Well if you want to join us you’ve got three weeks to plan!” I’m a bit of a perfectionist with things like this, so in my eyes, three weeks was NOT enough time, but somehow I managed to pull it off. We are true “Pandemic Babies” opening during the early stages of COVID, at a very scary, strange and dark time for everyone, but the Coffee & Plants brought a little bit of light to everyone which really was a joy to see. Almost 2 years later we’re a full-standing shop in West Oakland and it is truly a whole entire vibe!

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? 

Definitely not a smooth road. While the journey has been incredibly rewarding, there is A LOT to learn in owning a business. A LOT! More than I could ever imagine. For myself, I don’t have a business partner to bounce ideas off of, so a lot of the ideas come from myself; which in itself is great, but it also presents its own challenges such as frustration, procrastination and also wanting to quit. So although very fun, there are definitely a number of “downer moments” if you will, but typically that’s when I try and focus on all the good that Blythe Coffee has done and that really helps me keep going.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Currently I’m working on the expansion of my brand as well as continuing to keep a balance of everything in my life. Sometimes it can get difficult balancing my regular everyday activities, along with still working a regular 9-5 and owning a business. If you’re not conscious of it, it can feel like the business portion “never shuts off”. You’ll always be thinking about it. So for me, creating that space and balance is critical for my sanity and self care. If you’re getting a half version of me, then you’re getting a half version of my products….and I’m not having that.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see the coffee industry going nowhere but UP! Seriously. The end goal is to have my own coffee shop. Hopefully – scratch that – when that happens, I really want it to be “THAT” Coffee Shop! The one that everyone loves coming to, to get great coffee and small bites. The one that’s aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Always has a great music playlist playing in the background. Ultra fly baristas, and the one that makes you feel like “HOME”. Hang tight y’all, it’s coming.

Contact Info:

• Email: natalia@blythecoffee.com
• Website: www.blythecoffee.com
• Instagram: @blythecoffee
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/ZQs0LTffUpb

Image Credits:
@samanthatylerrr samanthatylercooper.com