Life today is fast paced and jam packed with deadlines, leaving many drained and yearning for a little pick me up. Hard working Cruceans struggle day in and day out to find the drive necessary to complete the day. When you are working so hard that you can’t spare the time to make it to a coffee shop for that sweet black gold, two locals with a dream may just have the solution.
John Villa and Carlos Pianza are two men with a vision, a belief that coffee should be available wherever and whenever, and they might just be coming to you!An idea almost a year in the making, John and Carlos hope to open their mobile coffee business, Streetlight Coffee, with the plan of creating a way to bring you your caffeine fix on wheels. With a dream as fresh as the beans they serve, there are bound to be many obstacles.
One of the biggest hurdles was their lack of business experience. Each and every choice has been a learning experience for them, some good and some bad. Even with the bad decisions and impulse buys, it has taught them to look deeper and invest more time into choices made for the business. John wishes he had taken classes to prepare him more for the business world, but he is grateful to get to learn along the way.
The community has responded well to their efforts, as the guys were fortunate to receive constructive criticism on how to prepare better drinks, as well as financial support from some residents in town. Following an unforeseen development, Streetlights trademark VW bus was no longer deemed up to code by the local health department. Because of this, John and Carlos were forced to find a new truck, and turn to the community for their support. The boys hosted a spaghetti plate fundraiser with amazing results, and even received a large angel donation from a generous person out of town.
The future’s looking bright for Streetlight, as they have been able to overcome the struggles of starting a business amidst the pandemic, and they continue to work hard to succeed. The community can look forward to a marzipan coffee when they’re open, available in hot and iced versions, so you can get a caffeine kick with a little southwest flare!
