Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Ley.
Hi Andrea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My coffee journey started as an enthusiast with the best part of my day: COFFEE! Then one of those days in 2016, I felt very homesick, I was missing my family, my friends, my culture and I thought: If I only could have a café de olla that would help me feel better with that “apapacho” and warm hug from my Abuela’s coffee recipe.
That was my AHA moment when I realized I could be the one making, serving, and selling café de olla to others that maybe feel the same way, so they could have a piece of my cultural roots in a coffee sip, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I polished the idea in my mind first on how I wanted the brand to be, then brainstorming in a notepad and sharing them with my circle of trust. In the first opportunity, I went to Mexico to talk to my Abuela and I started gathering all the recipes, tips, and tricks.
I traveled to different regions of my country to be more knowledgeable and also make contact with producers and coffee experts, training myself in every opportunity I had in front of me, researching flavors and spices, taking courses, coffee tastings, and reading a lot. In the meantime, I launched a Kickstarter campaign to get funds for my dream to become a reality but unfortunately, it was not a success, however, I didn’t give up, I was already very motivated, so I decided to stick to my 9-5 job and save money to invest in my own business.
After 8 years as a software engineer, I finally got what I needed: courage! then I quit! To be honest, it was the happiest moment in my life and now I work more hours but I feel fulfilled and happy. The brand has grown a lot, I started developing different products from the beginning like COLD BREW DE OLLA BOTTLED, GROUND MEZCAL INFUSED CAFÉ DE OLLA, PILONCILLO SYRUP, POCKET POUR OVER CAFÉ DE OLLA, as well as many traditional artisanal drinks with a modern twist as PAN DE MUERTO LATTE, MOLE LATTE, BUNUELO LATTE, TEPACHE, ATOLE, PONCHE and more!
I started in farmer’s markets, events, and selling online. The next big step was in 2019 when I opened my coffee truck in a retro VW Bus ’89 in a particular and appealing blue color with white dots simulating a traditional enamel pot called: Olla de Peltre. After the good response from my customers when I was rolling the Alamo city in 2021 came up a big opportunity to open a brick and mortar and I said YES!
Now, I have a beautiful team and we are happily growing!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been smooth with struggles! The reality is that not always have everything as planned and you have to be ready for the failure, having plan B or C as it goes in order to find the solutions. There are always resources available that help you out and something I’ve been learning in my journey is the sense of community, so helping each other is the best thing to succeed.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I feel so proud of the creativity implemented with so much passion in the concept of my business because it gives me the freedom to share my culture through gastronomy. One of my best friends called me “Piloncillo Queen” cause I got the honor to be a finalist of this year’s 2021 HEB quest for Texas Best with my star product: Raw Piloncillo Syrup. Olla express café is a company that specialized in café de olla and traditional Mexican drinks. Our mission is rescuing traditional recipes from our ancestors and being a platform for them and Mexican coffee in the US.
We are a coffee company with a diversity of products such as GROUND MEZCAL INFUSED CAFE DE OLLA, COLD BREW DE OLLA. PILONCILLO SYRUP, POCKET POUR OVER among others. In our coffee truck, we serve a fun experience where you will find our menu full of surprises and unique Mexican flavors: PILONCILLO, ROMPOPE, MAZAPAN, CAJETA, COCONUT, CACAO, CHILE, and popular signature drinks: PAN DE MUERTO LATTE, MOLE LATTE, BUNUELO LATTE, DARK CENIZA LATTE and more!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am always open to working with different ideas, brands, and people in general to offer lovely experiences. Currently, I collaborate with an international nonprofit organization to help coffee baristas around the world be more recognized, valued, and appreciated.
I’ve been participating in podcasts, magazines, with some other coffee folks to make this community bigger. Feel free to reach out anytime for any collab or support and if you are around San Antonio visit our coffee shop, otherwise visit us online!
Contact Info:
- Email: andyley@ollaexpresscafe.com
- Website: www.ollaexpresscafe.com
- Instagram: @ollaexpress
- Facebook: @ollaexpresscafe
- Twitter: @ollaexpressus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIqCZIqzCeZvU-_aIJ4xlHw
Image Credits
@69vagamundos – Fernando Ortega and @texasrocknrose – Haley Rose
