Aztec Owned: Navarro Coffee Co.
San Diego State University alumna Emely Navarro (’18) grew up visiting her family’s coffee farm in El Salvador, but she had other career aspirations. A stop at a farmers market changed all that.
AS A YOUNG GIRL, Emely Navarro had her first taste of what would eventually become her future. After school was out for the day, Navarro fondly recalls visiting her aunt Ethel’s home in El Salvador. Together, they watched her aunt’s favorite soap operas—often against her mother’s wishes. As they settled in for the show, Aunt Ethel would tear off a piece of a bread roll for Navarro and fill a quarter cup with coffee and sugar to dip the bread in.
These sweet samples weren’t Navarro’s only early exposure to coffee. Her family owns a coffee farm, Finca Monte Cielo, in El Salvador—a place where Navarro lived with her family until she was 5 years old.
Despite the coffee farm’s near constant presence throughout her formative years, Navarro never considered expanding the family’s coffee pursuits. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, she had her sights set on working in the broadcast industry. The Journalism and Media Studies graduate was part of The Daily Aztec from 2014 to 2017, and today she’s a digital video producer at “Access Hollywood,” a daily entertainment news show and one of her dream jobs. Navarro was never a barista or a coffee fanatic; she saw it more as a means to an end.
“In college, I would drink coffee because I needed to be awake,” she says.
That changed in late 2021. A chance conversation with a coffee vendor at a farmers market opened her mind to the possibility of going into the family business. After all, Navarro’s father had always hoped to bring their coffee to the U.S.
Navarro and her friend listened as the vendor talked about his experience importing coffee beans from his home of Honduras, roasting them and selling them at the market. Navarro immediately identified with his story.
“I remember trying some [coffee] and thinking, This is such good coffee,” she says. “And then looking over to my friend and saying, ‘I can literally do this.’”
And she did. Navarro started researching the coffee industry, sending cold emails to importers and learning about the farming side of the business from her parents. About two years later, she launched Navarro Coffee Co.—and sold her first bag of coffee in March. But not without some challenges.
Navarro soon realized that her mission of importing her family’s coffee beans wasn’t immediately feasible due to the farm’s size and the smaller quantity her business demanded. She pivoted to buying beans through an importer from El Borbollon, a family-owned business in El Salvador, and chose City Bean Roasters in Los Angeles to roast the beans.
“The goal is to sell coffee from my parents’ farm,” Navarro says. “But I think the bigger picture and bigger goal is to educate people about coffee from El Salvador as a whole.”
Erika Crenshaw and partner Patricia Torres own El Sereno Greengrocer, a store built on serving “culturally convenient” organic food to communities of color in Los Angeles. They were struck by Navarro’s ability to market her budding business on social media. Navarro posts videos to her company’s Instagram and TikTok, explaining the roasting process, giving tours of her parents’ farm and pulling back the curtain on Navarro Coffee Co.’s origins.
“Emely’s storytelling was key in learning about her cultural influence, her family influence [and] her generational influence on her actual partaking in starting a coffee business,” Crenshaw says. “Not only is the storytelling the hook, but the taste of her coffee was surprisingly exquisite.”
While Navarro was born into the coffee business, she wanted it to be done in her way—inspired by her family’s work but distinctively hers. Navarro also sets out to create a brand that emphasizes education and friendliness.
“It’s important to do something that feels authentic to me, and that’s super inclusive and inviting, and that my family can be proud of,” Navarro says.
In addition to El Sereno Greengrocer, the coffee is available on navarrocoffee.com and at pop-up events. Navarro’s ultimate goal is to open a coffee shop in the San Fernando Valley, but she’s in no rush. As Navarro continues to work as a video producer in Los Angeles and develop her business on the side, she’s confident things will eventually align.
“Everything will work out with my coffee when it’s meant to work out, and it will grow the way it’s meant to grow,” Navarro says.
Aztec-Owned Coffee Guide
Who doesn’t love coffee? Here’s a collection of coffee businesses owned by SDSU alumni, and if we missed one, email [email protected]. Visit our Aztec-Owned Restaurant Guide or the Aztec Network business directory to support fellow Aztecs.
Open the image full screen.Buddha Beans Coffee Co.
Aztec owner
Marc Lewis Narrie (’18, M.S.)
buddhabeanscoffee.com
Hemp-infused coffee
Catalytic Coffee
Aztec owner
Joseph Charlonis
@catalyticcoffee on Instagram
Specialty coffee roaster
HOB Coffee
Aztec owner
Andrew Itaya (’06)
hobcoffee.com
Coffee shops and roaster
East Village
1068 K St.
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 269-2887
Hillcrest
3752 Park Blvd., Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 677-2242
Sabre Springs
11385 Poway Road, Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92128
(858) 883-0019
Ignite Coffee Co.
Aztec owner
Tyler Whitehead (’20)
ignitecoffeecompany.com
Coffee shop and coffee bean delivery
Downtown Oceanside
605 Mission Ave.
Oceanside, CA 92054
ShedLight Coffee Roasters
Aztec owner
Heather Jones Calatrello
shedlightcoffee.com
Coffee roastery and delivery
Talitha Coffee
Aztec co-owner
Jake Jiron (’15)
talitha.com
Coffee shop and roaster
Barrio Logan (roastery only)
1622 National Ave.
San Diego, CA 92113
Liberty Public Market (coffee shop)
2820 Historic Decatur Road
San Diego, CA 92106
VendiBean
Aztec owner
Teal Cooper (’16)
vendibean.com
Beverage tech company
revolutionizing office coffee