All images courtesy of Cafecita Coffee.
Women-owned specialty coffee roasting company Cafecita is having more than fun in the California sun with the opening of a permanent coffee trailer that runs entirely on solar power.
Inside the approximately 1,000-square-foot courtyard of the plant shop Tansy, just northwest of Los Angeles in Burbank, the 8-by-7.5-foot Cafecita trailer takes inspiration from its foliated surroundings.
Three 400-watt solar panels are wired to commercial batteries made by Joule for a customized micro-grid.
“When there’s extra solar power, it gets stored in the batteries, and when our power needs are greater than what the panels can handle, it draws from the batteries,” Cafecita Founder Natalie Webb told Daily Coffee News.
Solar panels connected to the Cafecita trailer.
Inside a space shared with fellow L.A. specialty roaster and retailer Bar Nine, Cafecita Head Roaster Josh Shen browns beans on a Probat P12 machine before they head to the bar under the direction of Lead Barista Maxim Escamilla. The menu features a range of specialty drinks with house-made syrups and natural ingredients.
The company buys its green coffees from importers such as Umuko and Sustainable Harvest, focusing exclusively on coffees produced by women-owned farms and co-ops, with an emphasis on community and environmental sustainability.
All but one of the five-person group behind Cafecita identify as women and/or non-binary, and a portion of every sale is donated to women-focused nonprofit organizations around the world.
Thus far, the coffee company has supplied donations to Oaxaca, Mexico-based Fundación En Vía, which provides small loans and educational support to entrepreneurs, and Sustainable Growers, a nonprofit in Rwanda dedicated to technical training and market access.
A former human rights lawer, Webb founded Cafecita in 2020 after growing an appreciation for different coffees, cuisines and coffee cultures while traveling for work. After three years of wholesale roasting and direct-to-consumer sales, Webb first rolled out the trailer last November for popups around L.A.
Cafecita Founder Natalie Webb.
The opportunity to park it permanently at Tansy arose over the summer, and the microgrid was completed in August. Webb said the new coffee bar has provided some fresh energy for the business.
Said Webb, “We’re excited to continue to grow, do more events and connect with new partners.”
Cafecita is located at 2120 W. Magnolia Blvd in Burbank. Tell DCN’s editors about your new coffee shop or roastery here.
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Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
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