Open a Coffee Shop with Its Owner: 5am to Close

About this experience

Open the shop at 5 AM with the owner. You will dial in the espresso, prep pastries and work beside the baristas through the morning rush, learning why speed and consistency matter more than latte art.

After the rush Elena takes you into the back office and the roaster: cost of goods on every drink, labor scheduling, lease terms and how she decided when to open a second location. You stay through close to see inventory, cash-out and cleaning.

Your day

1. 5:00 AM

   Open the shop

   Turn on the machines, prep the pastry case and dial in the first shots of the day.

   1 hr 30 min

2. 6:30 AM

   Morning rush

   Work the bar or register beside the team through the busiest two hours.

   3 hr

3. 9:30 AM

   Roasting session

   Roast a batch with Elena and learn how she picks and prices green coffee.

   1 hr 30 min

4. 11:00 AM

   The numbers

   Go through drink costs, labor, rent and margins line by line.

   2 hr

5. 1:00 PM

   Close

   Count inventory, place orders and close out the day.

What’s included

• Breakfast and lunch from the café
• A bag of house-roasted coffee
• Café cost calculator spreadsheet
• Shop apron to keep

Good to know

• Wear closed-toe, non-slip shoes and clothes you do not mind getting coffee on.
• Guests handling food will follow basic food-safety rules (hair tied back, handwashing).

Your curator

Elena Ruiz16 years in specialty coffee, 7 as an owner

Elena Ruiz worked as a barista and green coffee buyer for a decade before opening her own café with a small roaster in the back. She now runs two locations and buys directly from three farms in Colombia and Guatemala. She still works the bar every Saturday.