RALSTON, Neb. (KMTV) — There are dozens of coffee shops in the Metro - but none like Coffey Alley. The owners say after searching, they never saw their culture represented in local coffee shops. So, they opened their own.
They've been in business for two months now. As 3 News Now Anchor Serese Cole reports, their cozy cafe gets the honor of being the first.
It's a cool, colorful cafe. But this Cafecito serves coffee - Mexican style.
"Most of our drinks have some sort of cinnamon," said owner Rosio Granados.
Rosio and co-owner Yasmin Payan-Vega went to Omaha South High School together.
Years later, they realized they had the same idea brewing.
"We were like hey let's open a coffee shop - let's do this," Yasmin recalled.
"You talk to any Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republican - they all love their coffee," Rosio exclaimed.
But they didn't always feel the love in local coffee shops.
"My family is one of the reasons why I opened this," Rosio shared. "My dad loves coffee but has like a thicker accent. He's a little embarrassed to go to Starbucks and other places to ask for a drink just because sometimes he can't pronounce the words."
"We always wanted to find a place where we could go and just sit and study during our college years and just be comfortable, and I guess see if we could find drinks from our culture," Yasmin shared.
They couldn't find a place.
So, they created one.
"We're actually the first here in the state of Nebraska who has a coffee shop like this. It is American Mexican infused drinks. We have a little of both worlds and that's what makes us unique to all the other coffee shops around town," Yasmin said with a smile.
At Coffee Alley, customers can get their favorite traditional flavors or Mexican inspired coffee.
Rosio showed me what makes their java so special - beginning with the air-roasted beans from Mexico.
"A lot of people say our coffee is very strong," she laughed.
As for the flavor...
"That's what we do here - fun flavors and also pretty flavors," she added.
The drink they are most known for is their Horchata Latte.
"We use horchata as our base - our non-dairy base," Rosio demonstrated.
Their signature drink is the Strawberry Horchata Matcha which is a little less caffeinated. It's made with horchata, strawberry syrup, a few freeze-dried strawberries and foamed matcha to top it off.
Serese: Oh, this is almost too pretty to drink.
Rosio: Thank you. Hopefully, it's as good as it looks.
Serese: I've never had anything like this before. That's why you're here - right?
There are plenty of non-caffeinated options like the Topo Chico Refresher.
The cafe also features pastries like churros and empanadas.
It's just what this duo wanted - a gathering place where friends, family and students are all welcome.
"We have some booths with outlets. So, if they want to study, they are more than welcome to do that here. If they want to meet with friends, we have a lounge area with some couches and chairs," Yazmin said.
They've also placed board games and cards on all the tables.
Customers love the space and unique flavors.
"I'm a huge matcha fan and the lavender I thought - that's different. I always try something new. The lavender with the oat milk is killer," said customer Tony Morrissey. "This is the best in Omaha. I mean the absolute best."
Serese: Wow. That's saying something!
Tony: That is saying something!
The owners love it, too.
"It's amazing because that means they are enjoying another culture," said Yasmin.
"We get a lot of people who come in and say thank you for bringing this here," Rosio smiled.
Coffee Alley is located at 7310 Harrison Street in Ralston. It's open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Sunday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The cafe has an extensive menu and this week you can add Fall flavors to the list. The ladies have created their own pumpkin spice.
In addition to coffee - vendors, mostly women of color, sell their products inside the cafe. To see some of those products and the full menu go to their Facebook page at Coffey Alley - Callejon del Cafe.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
