Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabe Cardenas
Hi Gabe, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I first moved to San Antonio, I went to my first coffee shop by UTSA called Indy coffee Club. My mom never let me have caffeine so having my first coffee was very eye opening. They suggested that I should get a hot vanilla latte and that changed my life! Not only was the coffee delicious but the vibe of the space was amazing and the service really sparked this want to become a barista. It started out with just wanting to be cool. When I got my first barista job I quickly realized that there is a world of science and passion behind a cup of coffee. I started really diving into the world of coffee and realized that I wanted to create my own concept. So I started Silhouette Coffee because I wanted to be a silhouette of every coffee concept I’ve experienced. I started off by building a coffee cart and practiced by having friends over and turning my house into a coffee shop. (Don’t tell my landlord.) I then got an opportunity to serve coffee at a friends wedding and that kickstarted the desire to do more! I did a some pop ups around the city but the one that really helped launch the brand was having a residency at the ranch motel and serving coffee every Friday and Saturday during the summer. After that I landed a consulting job to help open a coffee shop in Alamo Ranch called Tend and that was an amazing learning experience. Now I’m serving coffee at a new wine concept in Alta Vista called Art of Cellaring! Every Wednesday through Friday 9am-3pm.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Defiantly not an easy road. Having to always look for a place to set up and thinking about what unique flavors to add to the menu has been mentally tough. Then unloading and setting up the cart for service is very exhausting at times especially at 6am.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am first a Barista before a business owner. At Silhouette we serve specialty coffee with a traditional cafe menu. What sets us apart is a combination of crafting with passion and the love of serving others. I’m proud that instead of just taking drink orders then pushing each person aside I’m able to make each drink in front of them while having a conversation.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
When I first started I had no idea on how I was going to build out the plumbing for the pitcher rinser and espresso machine. Thankfully I had some help from a friend and multiple plumbing youtube videos. I did flood my living room with a few gallons of water but after several trips to the hardware store I figured it out.
Pricing:
- For my menu I set up the pricing of the milk to be the same. I don’t think its fair for oat milk lovers to pay more.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silhouette.coffee/
