Cafe Azteca offers more than coffee to the Promise Zone

Over half of America are coffee drinkers. While most chains and coffee shops stick to the same proven recipes, Tyler Ybarra, Owner of Café Azteca, calls on his past and culture to stand out. While managing a Starbucks in college, Ybarra met a lawyer who gifted him the advice to branch out on his own.

Ybarra headed down to Mexico to purchase a taco cart for his new venture. Realizing he couldn’t serve coffee out of the small cart; he sold it and purchased a trailer which he would drive from the South Side of San Antonio to San Marcos every day for three years.

With those years of hard work and dedication, Café Azteca’s fan base and recognition has grown. Ybarra moved his location from a small trailer in San Marcos to newly remolded brick and mortar in the Eastside Promise Zone. When asked why he chose his location Tyler said, “Seeing different businesses come, the money that is being poured into it [the neighborhood] and the revitalization of houses and businesses.” “[The] Eastside has really supported me.”, Tyler added.

Tyler appreciates that the neighborhood feels like home. Having grown up in San Antonio he has seen the neighborhood grown from one of the most undesirable neighborhoods to the most sought after. “People are proud to say, ‘I live in the Eastside.’”, he adds. Though it is getting better, Ybarra feels the need for more infrastructure, education programs and schools on the Eastside. “Watch this new generation take the torch and change it.”, Tyler states. There is

still a need for good jobs and stable homes.

When asked how leaders can continue the progress, the café owner suggested they listen to the people in the neighborhood, see what they want and find a good median. “It is really important to hear out the people who have been here their whole lives.”, Tyler said.