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Work is progressing at the new—and almost entirely unoccupied—400 Block Building at the corner of San Benito and 4th Streets in Hollister, but one early tenant, Cafe Con Leche, is open for business and is already seeing some success.
The brick-and-mortar location is the culmination of a dream that Edgar and Diana Mayorga had when they first started selling coffee out of a two-bedroom apartment in Redwood City four years ago.
Diana had worked at independent coffee shops since she was 17 and fell in love with the profession. As if destined, she also met Edgar at a coffee shop, and when they talked about their future together, he fully supported her dream of owning a shop of her own.
“We didn’t know how we wanted to start,” Diana said. “We didn’t have the funds, so we had to start small. We knocked on our neighbors’ doors, asking them to try our coffee and give us feedback.”
The timing complicated this grassroots effort: the pandemic had just begun, and people were wary of opening their doors to near-strangers.
“As time went by,” she said, “they became more trusting and gave us an opportunity. They really started supporting us in what we were trying to do.”
Their first foray into creating a retail presence was in the form of a mobile coffee bar, but their decision to buy one from eBay led to unexpected complications: the trailer came from China with high duties and shipping costs. It was also not up to code in San Mateo County.
“It didn’t pass inspection,” Diana said. “Edgar was a sheet metal worker, so he was very handy with making all the changes, including the plumbing and electrical. He didn’t have any experience with that, but he did his best.”
Wanting to raise a family and start their business, the couple moved to Hollister in June 2020 to take advantage of cheaper rent. Though uncertain that the business would succeed, Edgar left his job to pursue the couple’s dream full-time.
“I asked God if it was the right decision,” Edgar said. “His answer was peace—He just gave me peace. I called my boss right after and said, ‘I can’t work for you and build a business at the same time.”
Moving to a different county also meant working with different code requirements for the trailer, which required further modifications and added even more to startup costs.
“I tried to fix everything the inspector said,” Edgar said. “He would say, “This is wrong, that is wrong, the wheels are wrong.” It was very disappointing, and I almost gave up. I had to tear everything apart. But that is the risk you take when starting a business.”
Once the trailer was ready, the Mayorgas launched their business on Feb. 20, 2021, and immediately encountered another problem: they did not know where to legally park it to conduct business.
“We got kicked out a lot,” Edgar said. “The K-Mart parking lot, the Target parking lot, by the Ladd Lane School, by the railroad tracks. We’d park there during the week, get kicked out, and then find another spot.”
Luckily, they found a safe haven with Bertuccio’s in the lot above their Airline Highway market, frequently used by food trucks like Mansmith’s Barbecue.
“We started off inside the fence,” Edgar said. “But we were kind of invisible there. We came out from behind the fence and started getting a lot of business.”
Within ten months, catering gigs with local businesses like Driscoll’s Farms and Fireclay Tiles and appearances at events like the Hollister Farmer’s Market gave the Mayorga the income and enough regular customers to lead them to their first brick-and-mortar on Monterey Street, across from the San Benito County Courthouse, opening on May 14, 2022.
By this time, they had become associated with the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company and currently roast two different coffees that are available at the shop, Costa Rica La Magnolia, sourced from the Tres Rios region, and Brazil B56 from the Cerrado region.
They also began offering a menu of light items, like French toast, bacon and eggs croissants and avocado toast, as well as a wide selection of Nicaraguan specialties such as corn meal arepas sandwiches, shakshuka, a mixture of simmered tomatoes, onions and garlic served on poached eggs and tostones, crisp plantains served with queso fresco and cabbage salad.
However, lack of foot traffic was a problem, so when space became available in the new 400 Block Building, they jumped at it, opening their elegantly designed gray and silver cafe this year, on May 2.
I have never tried much coffee—probably the result of a childhood surrounded by cans of very unappealling Folger’s—so I brought BenitoLink photographer and all-around food taster Adam Bell to sample some of Cafe Con Leche’s offerings. I also had Diana and Edgar go over a few things on the menu.
What caught my eye initially was that, besides the must-have cappuccinos, macchiatos and mochas, they offer a range of playful items, like White Coconut and Banana Mochas and specialty coffee and tea lattes like their Rose, Turmeric and S’Mores flavors. There are also non-coffee items, such as a line of fruit smoothies that includes mango, pina colada, and wild berry, along with teas in flavors like strawberry-passion fruit, lavender, and watermelon.
Edgar’s taste goes to hot, strong coffees, like their cappuccino, with its bitter taste and bountiful aroma. Sadly, Adam and I were too wimpy for it, but we both enjoyed the iced Raspberry White Mocha, which Edgar designed.
“He started with a regular raspberry mocha,” Diane said, “but he likes white chocolate, so he used that instead. It is crazy, but it turned out great.”
Adam enjoyed the distinct but not overwhelming fruit flavor, the dark chocolate notes provided by the espresso, and the hint of a light Frosted Flakes sugariness.
Diane’s favorite is the Mayan, made with cinnamon, spices, vanilla and almond liqueur, but I liked the similarly cinnamon-infused Cafe De Olla, with its lingering taste of anise and cloves. A sign of how much I liked it? It is probably the first cup of coffee I have ever finished.
I will leave it to coffee lovers to write their own conclusions as to how Diane and Edgar have acquitted themselves with the beverage, but I suspect they have done well, if their sincere love of the business and of their customers is any indication.
400 San Benito St suite 104, Hollister(831) 737-6114
Hours:
Mondays through Fridays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Cafe Con Leche can be found on Facebook and Instagram
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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