Today we’d like to introduce you to Hazel Matic
Hi Hazel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I always had a dream about having a cafe. I even got a certification as a barista in my home country, Costa Rica, but I didn’t think that it was possible, and I had a career in social work, so I felt like I had no time for my dream. Back in 2021, my son was in soccer in Boca Raton. One day, it just occurred to me that someone should sell coffee at the games, so I told my husband that we should go for this, but I thought that he would discourage me. Instead, he was very supportive and began to dream with me. A few
months later, I emailed the soccer association to ask if we could set up a tent to sell coffee and pastries at the games, and to my surprise, the director said yes. After that, I started running for my goal. I registered my business with the state of Florida, and began to work on getting everything that I would need to run it: espresso machine, tables, pastry display. I also worked on the branding, the menu, ingredients and the coffee.
We started selling in October of 2022. To our surprise, we were making money. The first season was very exhausting because we had to set up our tables and tent every weekend and then take them down. We were anxious because we never owned a business or sold coffee before, so we were learning as we went. One weekend we made $1700 and we both realized that this business could work, but by the end of that first season, we were clear that we needed a trailer.
We bought a used trailer and began remodeling it. We had a very low budget, so it was very slow. We named our trailer, Brewna, and started operations with her in September of 2023. Our second season at the soccer games brought more business contacts and we started to get invitations to do school events and neighborhood parties and private catering, so the business began to grow.
When we started, we were buying our Costa Rican coffee from an importer but I wanted to import coffee directly from the farmer, so I went to Costa Rica on a quest to find the best coffee. I wanted single source coffee from one of the best coffee-growing regions of the country. We brought our first shipment of green coffee in December of 2023, and found an amazing local roaster so we can offer the freshest coffee every week.
Recently, an investor called me. Of all the coffee trailers in Palm Beach County, he wanted Cafe-Tico to partner with him to have a permanent location in West Palm Beach for our trailer. We are working with our partner on a beautiful garden cafe and ice-cream shop on Dixie Highway near Southern Boulevard. We feel honored for this opportunity and look forward to our next chapter with breakfasts, lunch and deserts in this eclectic neighborhood full of airbnb’s and new eateries.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My biggest challenge was overcoming the thought that I couldn’t do it. Coming from a developing country, I felt that I wouldn’t succeed, and I would’ve given up had it not been for my husband. Also, the money that we earn from our business had to pay our personal bills so financial pressure has made it slow going. We needed a new electrical system for the trailer but couldn’t afford it and there were several occasions with long lines of customers when suddenly all our power shut off. How nerve wracking!
As any other venture, there’s a learning curve. I feel very blessed for having my husband’s support because he is the positive one when things go sour.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Cafe-Tico LLC?
We are a mobile coffee bar. We cater all type of events, and we serve very large crowds as well as small gatherings. Since the beginning, I wanted to have a unique brand, an immersion in excellent coffee and teas and to create a space for people to connect and form community through coffee. We specialize in espresso drinks, which are made from scratch using my recipes and which I update every season. I either make the pastries myself or source them from the best local bakers. Everything is scratch made, using clean and fresh ingredients.
I am very proud of my coffee. We imported a very special single source coffee, and we are proud to serve it. We also sell our freshly roasted Costa Rican coffee through our website.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
We are wholeheartedly committed to creating a truly delightful experience for our customers, so every little detail is important. Since we started, we’ve aimed to be and serve the best. For example, I discovered an amazing pastry chef in Delray Beach with a new bakery, Yves Francios from L’atelier Des Pains. We sell his croissants and use them in our meals and snacks, including caprese with pesto croissant sandwiches and avocado and smoked salmon croissants. We serve the finest teas and use little touches like lavender seeds and rose petals in our specialty drinks. Our little trailer has some of the best food and coffee in all of South Florida.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cafe-tico.us/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafe.ticofl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084793241982
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-tico-boca-raton
Image Credits
Terry Arcia (@tarcia1)
