Hello, Cupertino!

Earlier this month, I wrote an entire blog post about where we started. I reflected on our mission and values, and how back then – over a year before the world as we knew it would change – we were already creating a solution for loneliness through Nirvana Soul.

But that post didn’t feel right. It was solid, but it wasn’t right.

As I’m sitting here now in Cupertino, just hours before we’re set to open, all that’s on my mind is how momentous this occasion is. We’re in such a beautiful space – in location, spirit, and time. I’m not sure I have the words to fully describe it, but I’ll try.

I’m thinking a lot about how, way before we opened Nirvana Soul, Jeronica and I would just talk and talk about how we wanted people to feel. We spent most days dreaming about people hanging out in the shop, working on their own dreams, and just generally being inspired.

We wanted what we didn’t have. We wanted someone to believe in us, even if it was each other.

Maybe we saw it on TV or in movies, but somehow we knew how joyful and multifaceted a place could be. We knew the vibes. 

The obstacles were real, though. We had no money, no connections, and no idea what we were doing. I worked in marketing, Jeronica in coffee. She also drove Lyft on the side.

There were a million reasons why this wouldn’t work – opening in a global pandemic being just one of them. We had never seen this done in real life. Definitely not by anyone who looks like us. The idea alone was terrifying, and exhilarating. There was a lot of downside, with just a sliver of upside. It could be a spectacular triumph, or an equally spectacular disaster.  

And that was precisely why we had to do it.

We’re 18 months in now. We opened one shop, then, less than a year later, a roastery. By the time of this post, we’ll have opened a second cafe. A year and a half is quick. Perhaps, furiously so. We haven’t mastered store one yet. Our inventory is slightly bloated, our ordering is a little erratic, and our team is growing faster than we can keep up with. 

All of that being said, our vision for this business has always been clear: we want more than one shop. My sister is the best barista and store manager I’ve ever witnessed. My husband is the smartest person I know. Our team is kind and generous, hard working and worthy. So why not us? Why not now?

(Also, Jeronica and I are 11 months apart and look how we turned out! :))

So I’m sitting here, in Cupertino, and I’m just proud. I’m happy that we’re doing what we said we would do. I’m also a little nervous. I can tell by the way my heart is beating. But I’m mostly excited because we’re here.

We’re bringing people together through the power of coffee and tea. And we’re doing it our way by spreading joy – just the way we imagined it.

Hello, Cupertino. We can’t wait to see and hear how you feel. Thank you for embracing us so far. We hope to make you and the larger Nirvana Soul community proud.

Cheers to shop #2!

-B