When you can join Elena
Start times are local to Portland, OR.
- Open a Coffee Shop with Its Owner: 5am to CloseStarts 5 AM, full day (9 hrs)
- Roasting Morning: From Green Beans to CupStarts 8 AM, 3.5 hours
- Espresso & Latte Art MasterclassStarts 5:30 PM, 3 hours
What Elena hosts
Open a Coffee Shop with Its Owner: 5am to Close
Dial in espresso, run the morning rush and learn the margins behind every cup.
- Length
- Full day (9 hrs)
- Group
- 1–2 guests
- Price
- $120
Roasting Morning: From Green Beans to Cup
Roast three batches on a shop roaster, cup them side by side and learn how green coffee is bought.
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Group
- 1–3 guests
- Price
- $95
Espresso & Latte Art Masterclass
Pull consistent shots, steam silky milk and pour your first hearts and rosettas on a café machine.
- Length
- 3 hours
- Group
- 1–4 guests
- Price
- $85
About Elena
Elena Ruiz started as a barista in college and stayed in coffee for the next decade, eventually becoming a green coffee buyer for a regional roaster. That job took her to farms in Colombia and Guatemala, where she built the relationships she still buys from today.
She opened her own café with a small roaster in the back, then a second location a few years later. Her days usually start before 5 AM and move between the bar, the roaster and the back office, where she tracks drink costs, labor and inventory closely. She still works the bar every Saturday.
Elena hosts because a lot of people dream of opening a café without knowing what the margins look like. She wants guests to see both the craft and the math.
What you’ll learn from Elena
- How to dial in espresso and keep it consistent through a rush
- How green coffee is selected, roasted and priced
- The cost breakdown of a single drink
- How to decide whether a café is ready for a second location
