Erica Escalante. Courtesy photograph.

Erica Escalante has all the time been motivated by curiosity, a need to know why issues work the way in which they do. 

She began in espresso at Starbucks in 2008, leaving two years later to be taught extra about barista craft and latte artwork at a neighborhood cafe in Portland, Oregon. On the new place, Escalante turned fascinated by the enterprise of espresso, working alongside the proprietor on a regular basis and taking the chance to be taught extra. 

“I turned generally known as the questions woman,” Escalante informed DCN. “My boss would are available in and say, ‘Simply give me 10 minutes earlier than you ask me something.’”

Geared up with a pocket book, Escalante would jot down questions and solutions all through the times: What do you do about this? How do you repair this? Why do you do that this fashion? The solutions proved useful when in 2012, at simply 21 years of age, Escalante took possession of the espresso store, then known as Arrow Coffeehouse.

Courtesy photograph.

Escalante later rebranded the store as Cafe Reina, opening a second location and increase the enterprise alongside a sibling bakery enterprise. After 10 years, which Escalante described as a “large studying course of,” Escalante made the troublesome choice to shut the thriving store in 2021, whereas relocating to Southern California for household causes. 

“After I determined to depart, we have been at our peak,” Escalante stated. “I believe everybody was shocked.”

Escalante is now making use of her years of espresso store and bakery expertise to her personal consultancy, specializing in operations, administration and workers mentorship. 

“I believe there’s simply an enormous gap within the business [between] individuals who perceive brick and mortar operations and [people] who additionally know the work. Many enterprise folks can’t converse the identical language to a younger barista,” Escalante stated. “And in the event you don’t get the buy-in from the workers, you’re going to have excessive turnover.”

Courtesy photograph.

Along with her consulting work, Escalante was not too long ago named president of Little Lunch, a restaurant enterprise with places in Venice and Santa Monica. “There’s a younger, Gen Z vibe,” Escalante stated of Little Lunch. “The corporate can be in regards to the nostalgia of the 90s, and I’m a 90s child, in order that’s enjoyable, too.”

Right here’s extra from our current dialog with Escalante…

What about espresso excites you most?

As an operations particular person, I really feel like there’s cash available on this business, and there’s some huge cash wasted. To me, what excites me is the potential of having the ear of choice makers and cash spenders to be smarter to be able to present issues like well being advantages. It takes time. It’s not an in a single day change, however there are too many corporations shedding cash. It’s not losing cash, it’s spending cash in frivolous locations. It’s not having clear operational requirements and bounds. All of it stems from management. It excites me to have the chance to have the ability to affect and develop new leaders. 

What about espresso troubles you most?

The terrifying lack of nice management. There are such a lot of folks in management who’re horrible leaders. I nonetheless can’t imagine the dearth of range, the dearth of girls. We’d like extra leaders to know good management. 

What would you be doing if it weren’t for espresso?

I’d be a stay-at-home mother. I want I could possibly be with my youngsters on a regular basis. I like being a mother. Then one other a part of me seems like I ought to run for president, you realize, assist change the world extra. 

Is there somebody within the espresso business who conjures up you? Nominate them for a characteristic story right here.