Ivan Solis is the owner and founder of Recuerdos Cafe in Atlanta GA. I can’t think of a more serving colleague to monitor for this season of the Sprudge Twenty.
After starting his concept as a coffee cart, highlighting Mexican coffees to pay homage to his parents who immigrated from Mexico to the United States to give him and his sister a better life, he always knew he would one day open a brick-and-mortar location.
I have personally seen Ivan and his wife Carly dedicate so much of themselves to the business but beyond Recuerdos, Ivan is a connector and force in the greater Atlanta coffee community, always showing up for other people’s events and businesses am supporting everyone in the industry in Atlanta.
Through his new cafe, he is able to expand on the person and coffee community leader he already is in Atlanta to help grow and connect the greater community through events and hospitality, and truly showing up and supporting others. Ivan has worked tirelessly to see his own dream come true of opening his shop, but he also has worked hard to support others in the community and always shows up for anyone who needs it. He often times is working hard in the background and rarely wants the attention on himself, but he deserves to be recognized not just for his hard work but the way that he is influential and a connector in the Atlanta coffee community.
I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the Sprudge Twenty than Ivan. I’m happy to be able to call him a friend and colleague.
Nominated by Matt Patch
How many years total have you worked in the coffee industry?
12
What was your first coffee job?
As a barista at Kaldi’s Coffee at the Emory Campus in Atlanta. Began working in the kitchen and worked my way up to Lead Barista, working there for three years!
Did you experience a life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?
Noticing that many baristas didn’t look like me was a huge moment for me. I was hungry to learn more about the coffee industry and was disheartened to learn how inequitable it was for producers and baristas regarding pay and education. From then on, I knew I wanted to push for more marginalized baristas to be front and center in the coffee industry.
Is there a person or persons who served as your mentor early in your coffee career? How did they impact you?
Absolutely! Daniel Brown (Gilly Brew Bar) and Connan Moody (Academy Coffee), served as very early mentors in my coffee career. Their knowledge and passion for coffee really made an impact on me, especially their approach to using coffee as a vehicle to push the boundaries of what coffee was. For Gilly, it was using coffee as a vehicle to storytell and uplift Black and Brown people in the community through beverages called “elixirs” was evolutionary. And working there at one point really taught me to have fun and how intentionality goes a long way in hospitality. Working under Connan at Academy, he really pushed me to be better as a barista and a community leader for coffee. The way Connan continues to push for more accessibility in coffee education is inspiring and continues to motivate me as a business owner.
What is your current role in coffee?
Owner of Recuerdos Cafe.
What facet of the coffee industry has changed the most during your career?
I believe how our industry looks has definitely changed for the better! While our industry does need more work, there has never been a better time for folks to learn more about coffee, such as access to free education through coffee YouTubers, seminars, books, and other avenues. There are also more and more coffee educators, and consultants who give cheap and affordable education to business owners. As well, it’s important to note that there are more and more small business cafes that are owned by folks in marginalized communities and doing the big thing. It’s very motivating and inspiring to see!
What still surprises you today about coffee, or gives you joy?
What still surprises me and gives me the most joy is knowing that there is no one way to do coffee. Every barista, and every cafe has a different way to approach coffee, and while that may be frustrating to some, I think it’s one of the most beautiful things about coffee. Bringing to light some of the most fun, exciting, and thrilling innovations and trends coffee has ever seen.
What’s something about the coffee industry you’d most like to see change?
I’d like to see the coffee industry care more about the people behind the coffee than serving/roasting the best coffee around. To me, it is about making the guest and your community feel connected, and it is the cafe’s/roaster’s due diligence to uplift the farmers and growers and baristas that serve their coffees. We need to care and be more intentional.
What is your most cherished coffee memory?
The moment my parents got to see Recuerdos open its doors. For years, we’ve pushed through many obstacles, hardships, and countless hours of work to get where we are now. From going to college to hopefully get into Medical school, I thought that was what would make my parents proud. When I graduated and decided to go another route, it was normal for them to feel nervous and overprotective of their son choosing a “harder” path. But I think over the years, their hearts softened when they saw the people show up to pop-ups, events, and countless trending videos. The thoughts that this wasn’t just a hobby became reality when I opened the doors, and I got emotional greeting them inside. Hearing them tell me that they were proud of me for chasing my dreams made the moment even more special.
Do you make coffee at home? If so, tell us how you brew!
I don’t often make coffee at home, but when I do, I’m using either an espresso machine (GS3), or, for filter using a Graycano brewer.
What is your favorite song/music to brew coffee to?
It depends on the day! Some days I love a good 90’s R&B, or like to speed up the tempo with some old reggaeton or Bad Bunny! Lately, the song “Cafe Con Ron” by Bad Bunny has popped into my head a lot while making coffee.
What is your idea of coffee happiness?
Coffee happiness is making coffee for your friends, family, and guests, making them feel at home, opening the doors to conversations, and building lasting memories together.
If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I’d want to drink coffee with my deceased grandfather, whom I vaguely remember from my childhood. I heard from my mom that he loved drinking coffee, and I think if I could have coffee with him, I could learn more about his personality, his memories, and family history I might not know about!
What’s one piece of advice you would give someone getting their start in the coffee industry today?
The worst thing someone could say is “no.” If you want to learn something, work somewhere, or have a mentor, the worst thing someone could tell you if you ask for something is no. Never be afraid to push yourself through the door and take a seat at the table, even if no door is there. Make a door! I know I wouldn’t have met the people I did, or have the community we have, if I didn’t push myself into the rooms I wanted to be in!
The Sprudge Twenty feature series is proudly presented by Pacific Barista Series.
