Meet Andrew—Community-Minded, Coffee-Savvy Entrepreneur (Story 24/40)

There’s something sweet about seeing businesses in City Heights thrive! Ask anyone on our Economic Development team and they’ll tell you, it’s a joy to see businesses grow.

Andrew opened the doors of his now-beloved coffee shop, Cafeina, just months before the pandemic and it’s been a long climb. When we first met Andrew, he was excited to share his story and create a space for culture and community, and he succeeded! Then, as the pandemic hit, things got a lot tougher but Andrew’s determination kept it going, with a little help from our COVID relief funding.

Now, as the business has stabilized and begun to expand (the new back patio is gorgeous!), Andrew shared a few reflections:

“The pandemic helped me learn to slow down, and the biggest learning curve for me as a young entrepreneur has been learning more discipline and how to lead a team. As the business has grown, it’s been tough learning how to manage that growth.”

To gain perspective, Andrew took a trip.

“I recently went on an origins trip to Honduras. An origins trip is where you go to a coffee country where the beans originate from, and it was on that trip that I was able to clarify what I want to do with the business—it’s like the fog finally lifted and I can see how I want to grow this business.”

In honor of our 40th anniversary of working in community, we’re sharing stories of neighbors we admire, and Andrew is definitely on that list! He has worked so hard to get to this point, and now hearing he has vision for the future of Cafeina is even more exciting!

“I’ve seen people start businesses, and at first it’s cool and fun, but eventually the work and grind of it can leave you questioning. That origins trip helped clear my vision for the business and I can see the future I want to work toward. Ultimately, it’s an amazing blessing that we’ve continue to grow, even during a pandemic. I’m super grateful for the support this community has shown. This has been a great experience.”