We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabriela Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabriela, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
We started Soldadera Coffee to be able to share our Mexican heritage over something everybody can immediately resonate with. Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee? We were inspired by our grandmother Cristina, who was a social activist in Mexico and a voice against injustice towards others, especially women.
Our grandmother would attend religious retreats in the early mornings to the Spanish-styled Cathedrals of Mexico City. She would set up tables with carafes full of hot coffee for the community.

Our original Café de Olla takes inspiration from those moments and from the legacy of the Soldaderas, the brave female soldiers of the 1910 Mexican Revolution.

These women crafted the original Café de Olla recipe, brewing coffee with spices in clay pots to keep soldiers warm and alert, which is why it’s known as ‘coffee of the clay pot.

Through our coffee, we want people to be transported to a place where spices and flavors are abundant and where women are the driving force for good in their communities.”

What should our readers know about your business?
Our coffee is unique in that we truly offer a product will all-natural ingredients and zero preservatives. That of course limits the scope of our retail capabilities as the drinks must constantly be refrigerated, but it’s helped us carve out a niche in the health and wellness community as more people are looking for healthier alternatives to their daily iced caramel macchiato. We are fortunate in Grand Rapids to be surrounded by a thriving entrepreneurial community that wants to see startups like ours grow and be successful. This past Monday, we attended a Meijer supplier diversity seminar in Milwaukee, which was attended by many other Michigan entrepreneurs, and we felt inspired by the dedication of big retailers like Meijer to be more inclusive in bringing new brands to store shelves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you can make it to the Monroe North neighborhood in downtown Grand Rapids, check out City Built Brewing Company. We are a little biased because we often use their taproom as our remote office, but Ed Collazo and his team have something really special going on there. During COVID, he was very intentional about partnering with the city to open up outdoor seating in a disused parking lot across the street and obtain permitting to serve alcohol outdoors. Those decisions, we believe, were the reason City Built kept its doors open when so many other businesses were shuttered during that time. It’s very clear Ed cares deeply and recognizes the responsibility of businesses to uplift the community, plus the beer’s good too.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give aa shoutout to Kavy Lenon, who is the Supplier Diversity Manager for Meijer Inc. and has been instrumental in helping us grow our brand and get our products on all Meijer store shelves in the Midwest. Kavy is passionate about helping entrepreneurs, particularly people from underrepresented demographics, thrive in the retail space. She also has her own beverage brand, ZINI Vodka, to share her Laotian culture through a variety of creative cocktails. As a woman- and minority-owned beverage business ourselves, we love having her support.

Website: https://soldaderacoffee.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soldaderacoffee/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soldadera-beverages/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/soldaderacoffee

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Soldaderacoffee

Image Credits
Courtesy Soldadera Coffee/Facebook

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMichigan is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.