Since 2016, Kayzel Martínez and Joseph Quiñonez knew they wanted to build a coffee shop from scratch. Then Hurricane María hit, followed by the earthquakes, and just when they thought they had another chance, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.
With a colador and a greca in hand, both adapted to every reality the Island faced, continuing to build their knowledge while never losing sight of their goal: brewing a cup of coffee in their own shop. They got there.
We spoke with the couple about how Habitante Café came to be, how hard it is to open a business in the middle of economic inflation, and what sets them apart from other coffee shop options in the area.
Platea: How did the idea for the coffee shop come about?
Joseph: I've been working at different coffee bars since 2012, until I met José García, who introduced me to barismo and became my mentor.
After that, in 2016 Kayzel and I started taking road trips to visit coffee shops around Puerto Rico. That led to creating an Instagram account, Nuestra Historia (@nuestrahistoriapr), and eventually, while we were both studying at the Escuela Hotelera de la UPR Carolina, the business idea took shape.
Kayzel and I had a vision of what we wanted, and we knew that to get there, we had to study it and learn a great deal.
How would you describe the coffee shop?
Habitante Café is without question a specialty bar where we aim to offer a different cup of coffee in a relaxed but personalized setting. You'll notice the design is minimalist, with the focus on the customer, their experience, and our products.
Why is it called 'Habitante Café'?
The name Habitante Café came from our last trip to Madrid. We were at Hola Café, and sitting there watching, we noticed how the customers were already regulars, already familiar faces. It occurred to me that they were already part of the place, they were habitantes (inhabitants).
What sets you apart from others in the area?
There isn't as much coffee nearby as we'd like, the way we experienced it in Ciudad de México. Since we're not from San Juan, coming from Utuado and Ponce, we spent a year studying the area and the community to get at least some sense of who our neighbors would be, and the reception has been gratifying.
We're focused on bringing specialty coffee to our customers and teaching them about its background.
Beyond our design and atmosphere, our personality and good service allow us to connect with each person who visits and give them an experience.
We also want to be an inspiration for opening more businesses and cafés here in Santurce.
Do you consider yourself a barista?
Yes. I've worked at different coffee bars in Puerto Rico using different extraction methods. I've traveled to learn. I've taught classes to other businesses and enthusiasts. I've worked on the technical side of espresso machines and repaired them on many occasions.
I've also designed coffee menus and handled cost control, quality, service and marketing.
I'm committed to customer service and to making coffee in an organized way, serving quality and providing an experience. More than anything, I consider myself a student of life and I'm working through its processes.
What are your coffee specialties?
At the coffee bar, we make most of our ingredients in-house, including the flavors.
The syrups we use are made here and are tea-based. We make our own simple syrup, infused with the tea of our choice.
One of our most requested drinks is the Apple Caramel Iced Latte, made with coffee and oat milk, with a Black Tea syrup that carries a hint of spices, apple and caramel.
Another of our standout drinks is the Hibiscus Lime Mocktail, prepared with cold hibiscus and rose tea, freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, and shaken in a cocktail shaker.
All of our cold drinks are served with premium cocktail ice, to ensure a solid drink that holds its original flavor longer and gives the customer a pleasant experience.
What are the food and snack specialties?
We are known for always wanting to bring something good to the customer. Because of that, we prepare most of our products in-house. We have a European-style display case with pastries and snacks that can be enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed.
The star dish is the Avocado Toast, and La Puerquita, named in honor of the old lechonera that was right next door. The Green Cheese was the first dish and is one of the favorites, since it has everything good about a grilled cheese but with the twist of pesto and a fried egg on top.
It may sound simple, but as a dish whose flavor is hard to describe, there is the oatmeal, made with old fashioned oats, which are more complex to cook, but the recipe is exquisite in the end.
We continue to create more dishes that will be coming in the future for people to try.
How difficult has it been to open a business in the middle of economic inflation?
We have spent years watching the market go up and down. We had a business plan to open in 2017, and then Hurricane María hit, followed by the earthquakes and then the pandemic.
We have seen the opportunities and the setbacks. But the timing for us has been perfect and favorable.
More than anything, we are prepared for a lot. Working in hotels in the middle of hurricanes and in a shopping center during the pandemic has shown us the reality of today's customer.
A customer who is willing to enjoy day to day, who watches their money but spends it on quality when they understand the product. We see a customer who wants more, who wants to learn, who is looking for a different kind of place.
And we have managed to fit into that, without doing it intentionally, because that is simply who we already were, and our business plan and design had been "in the making" for years.
We are very happy with how everything has come together, but above all, with the positive response from our customers.
We are glad that just eight weeks after opening, we already have habitantes who are regulars and who give color and space to the creativity, to the blank canvas that is our space, Habitante Café.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
