Michelle and Danny Quiroz began their small business journey with curiosity and a passion for great coffee. “This really started as an experiment [between] me and my husband,” Michelle said. “We were fascinated by the science behind fresh coffee and how to make the best cup possible.”
Michelle, who enjoyed a successful engineering career, began working with Danny to roast and sell coffee at weekend farmers markets and local trade shows in late 2015.
As they continued their weekend business, they learned of the McAllen Buydown Program– a partnership between the City of McAllen and LiftFund, which provides small businesses with 0% interest loans– and decided to take on the business fulltime.
The couple met with Marlene Rodriguez, a LiftFund team member, to share their business idea. “Whenever we had a question [Marlene] would help us find the answers,” she said. After developing a solid business plan, they were able to secure a $225,000 loan to build out the coffee shop and purchase professional equipment.
Michelle, who left her job in October to focus on the business full-time, was excited to open Reserva Coffee Roasters with Danny and their daughters, Carolina and Evelyn, in December 2017.
“My favorite part of running this business is [seeing] regular guests, kids [who] come here for study sessions, and companies that hold meetings here. Creating that community and engagement is what drives me.”
Today, Michelle employs 10 full-time staffers who are dedicated to creating quality coffee and service experiences for their customers. The business’ success has inspired her to grow the brand and open new locations. “[Our coffee] has already brought so much joy to people, it’s pretty awesome,” Michelle said. “To see how far we’ve come from our first meeting with LiftFund to where we are now, is exciting.”
