Por Vida Coffee To Begin Roasting Operations in Barrio Logan

Logan Avenue’s Por Vida coffee shop plans to begin roasting coffee beans in house during the first quarter of 2020, as shared with Eater by proprietors Milo Lorenzana and Carolina Santana. The owners cite the need to keep up with a rise in business, which has increased the amount of coffee used in their Barrio Logan espresso bar this year. The shop currently uses a balanced house blend of Latin American and Mexican coffee beans supplied by the Midtown-based James Coffee Co., which has a longstanding relationship with the Por Vida team.

The new roasting project will be lead by shop manager and head barista Manny Medina, and guided by members of James Coffee’s roasting staff. Por Vida is aiming to develop a house blend and, possibly, a single origin to best fit the items on its specialty menu, comprised of drinks made with Mexican ingredients such as horchata, mazapan candy, dulce de leche, and cinnamon.

Aside from fulfilling in-house supply needs, the start of the roasting operation is significant to Lorenzana and Santana on a deeper level, as they look to continue to bring greater representation to the coffee industry. “There were not many Latino, Mexican, or Chicano-owned coffee shops in San Diego, and we were among the first, so we really want to make an impact as the Chicano roasters based out of San Diego,” Lorenzana said.

A quick remodel in the back of the Logan Avenue storefront to separate the roasting equipment and office space from the front of house is scheduled for the coming weeks.

Por Vida