As drivers pass the 7-Eleven on Valley Boulevard, they might find a truck parked near the convenience store — a 2022 green Toyota Tacoma Sport fixed with a few chairs and a white tent beside it. The truck might be inconspicuous at first glance, but on closer inspection, residents will discover it is not an ordinary truck.
The truck is home to Not So Instant Coffee, a specialty coffee shop run by Jenny and Roberto Delgado. The Delgados opened the truck in August, their first pop-up location after primarily operating as a catering company. The shop is open from Thursday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. With roots tracing back to Cal State LA, these small business owners hope their location and product can stand out in a space dominated by established coffee shops.
The truck serves popular coffee drinks with some personal touches. Their horchata latte, for instance, is made with a homemade blend of cinnamon, star anise, and clove. There are also original options that harken back to their South LA roots like their Mazapan shakerato, a shaken espresso made with real pieces of the popular Mexican candy. All drinks are served with oat milk due to high demand and ease of storage, the owners said.
Inspired by Instagram videos of coffee trucks in Asian countries like the Philippines and Thailand, the Delgados created their new workspace. Powered by a $600 generator, the truck features two water tanks, a hand-washing station, a coffee grinder, and a latte machine. They estimate that the setup cost over $10,000 dollars to build.
The idea of a coffee truck was built from necessity and opportunity. In 2022, one of their trucks, a Jeep, broke down due to the truck’s air conditioning system overheating. The Delgados decided to replace the truck with the Tacoma. However, Jenny Delgado told her husband that she didn’t want the truck only for driving.
“Trucks are considered ‘working vehicles.’ So I just say, ‘Okay, if you’re going to get me a working truck, we’re going to put that truck to work,’” she said.
Part of the business’s mission statement is to “reconnect with our origins through coffee,” according to its website. Roberto Delgado, 33, grew up in South Central to a Mexican family. Jenny Delgado, 30, lived in Echo Park with Salvadorian parents. Roberto Delgado works at a bio-manufacturing plant near the location, and Jenny Delgado was an LAX air cargo employee until this September, quitting the job to focus on the business full-time.
“A lot of people of color should know that coffee is a Latin American food. It’s an African food. It’s food that comes from their countries,” Roberto Delgado said.
According to an International Coffee Organization report from 2023, over 60% of all coffee exports came from Latin American countries. To the Delgados, coffee is engrained in their roots.
The couple met in a biology class at Cal State LA in 2015, quickly hitting it off on study dates at restaurants like the Noodle World in Alhambra. The two eventually got married in 2019.
“We’re happy to serve coffee to Alhambra and El Sereno because we have a lot of fond memories of the area,” Roberto Delgado said.
After years of saving, the couple bought their supplies and opened a coffee business in March 2022. Initially selling coffee outside their house, the Delgados quickly expanded the business to cater to schools, weddings, and other small gatherings. However, they realized that product consistency and additional revenue streams were needed.
“It’s an awesome business model, but our events are far between,” he said. Delgado felt that a location where people could buy their product was necessary to create traction for the business.
Jenny Delgado’s father was a coffee harvester, and her first job was at Peet’s Coffee in Glendale in 2013. Her passion for the job led her to travel to Mexico to learn more about the coffee-making process — from learning how to use coffee machinery in Tijuana to exploring how coffee beans are grown and shipped in Chiapas.
“I just love being behind the bar,” she said. “Working with coffee is an art … it’s not just ‘oh, here’s your coffee, here’s your lid’ and forget about it.’ There’s so much more to it.”
On the other hand, coming from a bioengineering background, the 33-year-old Delgado was not a coffee maker himself. Much of his experience with coffee before the business came with her help.
“We learned a lot together because we were taking these courses that helped introduce people who are small business entrepreneurs wanting to open their own coffee shops,” he said.
The Delgados believe their take on coffee can prove popular with the local audience. So far, the business has over 4,000 followers on Instagram. The couple said they have had 15-20 regular customers since they opened.
One of these regulars is Len Villa, who delivers ice cream to the 7-Eleven nearby. He instantly gravitated toward the coffee truck for its drink quality.
“They use real beans, they grind them freshly, and they brew right in front of you,” said Villa. “It was awesome. It was a good experience.”
Short-term, the Delgados said the truck hopes to turn a profit by the end of the year. In the long term, they want Not So Instant Coffee to have a brick-and-mortar location that caters to a late-night crowd.
This article was first published in the October 9 print edition of the University Times.
