Our Story
In 2017 with a full-time job, the only happy moments I used to have were coffee breaks. I guess after almost 9 years, my cycle there was ending; one of those days in a rainy one, I started feeling homesick, thinking about my life, my family, my country and my culture; craving cafe de olla, so it made me realize that having just a cup of that Mexican elixir, I would feel better. Talking to myself, I was thinking: why don't you make it for you and for others that feel the same way you do? Immediately after, I thought “Well, you have an opportunity in front of you to make happy a bunch of people that maybe is also looking for a little piece of their hometown too”.
I started talking about it with my beloved ones and matching the idea with how good the recipes from Abuelitas could be the ones to use in my new venture, so then I talked to my Abuelita and asked for her recipe after I explained to her my idea, so she told me her recipe with so much passion that I fell in love with the idea to gather different recipes from my sibling's and friends’ Abuelas too, so that's how we came up with a very traditional menu, compelling old Mexican recipes from decades ago.
Now, I feel so excited to share those precious flavors made with coffee 100% from Mexico with all of you, offering new options to drink your coffee every morning and also introducing new traditional beverages that nobody should miss!
My country is one of the best producers of coffee due to the great climate for the coffee beans and the location in the coffee bean belt. The arabica is the most popular coffee in the US, so that is one great reason to have Mexican coffee with great quality as that is the specialty of our partners.
After a long journey building the concept and brand to develop some products, we specialized in cafe de olla, mezcal infused, cold brew and piloncillo syrup. Finally, in February 2019, we open our mobile coffee bar con aroma de Mexico in a VW bus with a unique menu introducing new flavors to the city such as piloncillo, rompope, mazapan, cajeta, cardamom, chile, cacao among others. If you see us rolling the Alamo City honk to say HOLA! Our coffee truck serves events of all kind. Recent news, in 2023 we opened our coffee shop in downtown, come visit us to have a great experience from the moment you cross the doors of what we really love to call: La Casa del Cafe.
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Andrea Ley
Olla express cafe owner
WHAT IS CAFÉ DE OLLA?
Café de olla (lit. pot coffee) is a traditional way to prepare coffee in Mexico. This drink is traditionally prepared in earthen clay pots, some made by artisans. The distinct flavor of Café de olla is derived from cinnamon and piloncillo. This type of coffee is principally consumed in cold climates and in rural areas. The flavor of Café de olla is created by different ingredients and spices including ground coffee, cinnamon and also piloncillo, which is a traditional non-refined sugar from Mexico.
This is the most important element that goes into a cup of coffee. The mineral content and PH level of the water you use can have drastic effects on the finished product.
A coffee seed, commonly called coffee bean, is a seed of the coffee plant and is the source for coffee.
This spice is a brown colored woody extremely aromatic and has a sweet flavor.
Pure natural unrefined cane sugar concentrated by boiling with NO additives. Healthier than sugar, contains essential minerals, suggesting it has immunological benefits.
PRESS
A sip of tradition!
Coffee that makes the Abuela proud...
Local coffee shop owner brings Mexican flavor served from Volkswagen.
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