Today we’d like to introduce you to Carina Zatarain.
Hi Carina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a second-generation Cuban-American and coffee has been part of my entire life. For me, Cuban coffee reminds me of my roots. I grew up drinking cafe con leche and hearing stories of my abuelos’ life in Cuba. How my mother would have to translate everything in English for her parents when she was younger and lived in California. How my dad had to get a job at the Hialeah Flea Market when he was 12 years old. Then there was me, born and raised in Miami Lakes along with other children and grandchildren of immigrants. Never having gone to “the homeland.” Understanding Spanish but having trouble speaking it. I became embarrassed by how I spoke and would mess up—it affected my grasp of the language and culture.
It wasn’t until I was out of high school and working that I realized how valuable Spanish is, especially in Miami. I went through an identity crisis where I was “too American” to be Cuban and “too Cuban” to be American. I call it “living between the hyphen of Cuban-American.” I didn’t know what I was, all I knew was that I wanted to learn more about my heritage because I love Cuba and the people and culture that surrounds it. You know how people say, “Put coal under harsh conditions and you’ll make a diamond.” That’s what my people are to me.
Creating my mobile coffee trailer, Cienfuegos Coffee is a representation of my love for my family and, in a sense, a manifestation of my identity and of so many others I know. Because at the end of the day, Miami is what made us. With these values, I plan to transform the Cuban coffee experience into the specialty coffee world and elevate South Florida’s coffee scene.
I didn’t realize that this would be my path so easily. I graduated from Florida International University with a degree in English, hoping to one day write a book or become an editor. I did some internships writing magazine articles and proofreading for a publishing company. My career took a step forward when I began working at a creative marketing agency in Brickell, where I took on the role as a junior copywriter. We were such a small team. With my coworkers as graphic designers and me as the only copywriter, I took on other responsibilities like creative direction, social media marketing, content creation, and more. At first, it was just what I needed—something fast-paced and fresh. I spent a couple of years gaining hands-on skills that many people just starting out don’t even get to experience. But during the pandemic, I took a moment to reflect on where I wanted to be in life. The work became consuming and I felt mentally drained from taking on more and more responsibilities.
In the back of my mind, I thought that my love of food, my culture, and art would be better suited for something of my own. It always stuck with me how my abuelo once told me that he was from a town called Cienfuegos in Cuba. It sounded so poetic. A hundred fires. I knew that one day, I would have liked to own a café forged from the flame. So, why not make “one day” today? I had money saved for an apartment and, at 23 years old at the time, I thought that I was young enough to start over. So, what the hell.
I decided to take the plunge and start my own coffee business. It just felt right. With the rising rent prices in Miami, I thought it best to start mobile. I began looking for a trailer, doing all of the research and took a job working at South Florida’s best specialty coffee shop, Panther Coffee, while simultaneously working at the marketing agency until my boss had found someone to take over my position. I juggled the two jobs at the beginning of 2021—the agency on weekdays and the coffee shop on weekends until I finally moved forward full time to continue my barista training at Panther. It was the best decision I have ever made. Not only have I gained knowledge about the specialty coffee industry, but I have met the most incredible people who are now my coffee and tea wholesalers from Panther Coffee.
2021 was a year of focus and taking steps every day to get to where I am now. I am looking to open Cienfuegos Coffee this November right in Miami Lakes, the town that I grew up in. Every connection that I have made along the way has made this all worth it. I am proud to have a truly local experience that I feel passionate about and created all on my own. I hope that people can feel it too.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a first-time business owner at 24 years old, it has been a lot of trial and error. There is no magic manual for opening up a trailer and becoming a coffee wizard. I had to make a lot of connections, spend hours upon hours researching, and took a lot of dedicated time to do everything that comes with starting a business. I used my background in marketing to create my style guide and had a lot of practice with coffee at work, but when it comes to the numbers, legalities, and more, that takes a lot of patience.
My dad owned two clothing stores when I was growing up, so I have gone to him for advice and he is very supportive of my venture. He has come along with me on his time off to do things like pick up the camper from the dealership and help me completely gut the trailer to get it prepared for the builders who converted the shell into a fully functional coffee shop. However, I have discovered that I have to go to many meetings alone.
Even though I am fully financing Cienfuegos Coffee, have spent tireless days perfecting the craft, and have learned all of the things that I need to get going, many people do not take me seriously. Whether it’s my age or gender, I began to notice that whenever I went to set up something for my business and my dad joined me, the men I was doing business with would always look at him when we were talking. There was one time that a man was explaining to my dad how to use a brake controller device that connected to the trailer and I had to tell him, “Please look at me as you explain this because it’s me who will be driving this every day, not him.” I had many food truck builders not return my calls or emails because they thought that I was not being serious about starting a business. I had my banker ask me if we were depositing money into the business checking account from my dad’s account. I even had my old boss joke that I should find a rich boyfriend to fund my endeavor. It was really my first time experiencing blatant sexism in the professional world.
If anything, these moments have made me more calculated and more proud. I have learned so much that I not only keep up with the conversation but I lead. I’ve been happy to meet other women who started companies and have helped me along the way, from Panther Coffee’s owner Leticia to my juice vendor Judy. All these women inspire me and I want to become that pillar of support to other women through my company.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Cienfuegos Coffee—The Mobile Ventanita. This mobile coffee trailer is inspired by my upbringing as a second-generation Cuban-American. My idea is to bring the traditional Cuban coffee experience to the specialty coffee world. With coffee education, transparency, and quality local sourcing from Panther Coffee, Cienfuegos Coffee strives to become the top coffee destination in South Florida.
From the traditional espresso or “cafecito” to special drinks named after the cities my abuelos were born in, like the “Havana” which is a dulce de leche latte, I’m really trying to focus on making the coffee the star of the show. Cuban coffee is a style where a dark roast coffee is offset by sugar, but the coffee that I source from Panther Coffee is a beautiful dark roast blend called 1927 with dark chocolate, nutty, and syrupy flavor notes that come across naturally. It’s creamy and balanced enough to have without the extra sugar. What makes this a “specialty coffee” experience is the craft, high grade sourcing, and an appreciation for every step of the coffee process with respect to the supply chain.
I am also collaborating with local wholesalers for my baked goods and grab-and-go beverages to amplify stories from the community. Brands like 305 Squeezed, Pamela Wasabi, and Radiate Kombucha are just some of the incredible people that I will be working with. I hope to grow and continuously work with other creative beings from Miami to highlight what makes us special.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Cienfuegos Coffee will be parked at the Hundredfold Business Center located at 6625 Miami Lakes Dr, Miami Lakes, FL 33014 from Monday through Friday 8:00am–3:00pm. On weekends, we will be attending local farmer’s markets and the trailer is also available to be booked for private events.
As far as collaborations, I am always open to carrying baked goods from licensed wholesalers and products that relate to coffee and Cuban-American/Latin culture. My Instagram and Facebook is @CienfuegosCoffee and we can be reached at CienfuegosCoffee@gmail.com.
Contact Info:
- Email: cienfuegoscoffee@gmail.com
- Website: cienfuegoscoffee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cienfuegoscoffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CienfuegosCoffee
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cienfuegoscoffee?
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