WEST ALLIS — A cafe in West Allis isn't just serving up cups of coffee. There's a dream come true in every cup.
“We came with the dream of selling coffee again like we were doing back in Puerto Rico," Lucy Torres, said.
She and her husband Jesus Mateo own Aroma Cafe in West Allis at 8100 W. National Ave.
They opened the coffee shop in December 2024. But her coffee journey started much earlier. It began when she was just a kid growing up in Puerto Rico.
"I played around when I was little around the coffee trees and other plants that my grandpa used to cultivate," she said.
Eventually, she and her husband Mateo, decided to start their own business. They operated a coffee cart inside a large mall on the island. Business was good. As they grew more popular, they decided to venture into more locations. They had plans to put small cafes with a barista inside gas stations. However, their plans were derailed when Hurricane Maria disrupted much of the island's infrastructure in 2017.
“Having that moment where you hit like, let’s say, bottom and you’re like, wow, why now that we were like reaching such a like good outcome from the business, like the product was getting known," Torres said.
Instead of restarting in Puerto Rico, they made a big decision.
“We are not going to continue, we’re gonna stop, rethink everything, and let’s start all over, so that’s how we got here to Wisconsin.”
They came to the U.S. in 2017. Nearly eight years later, they opened Aroma Cafe. All the coffee they sell comes from Puerto Rico. They also serve Puerto Rican snacks.
Watch the video to see what it's like inside Aroma Cafe...
“Being able to sell that coffee the same way that I grew up, it’s like wow I can still carry on this heritage that I learned from my grandpa," Torres said.
For Torres and her husband, this is a home away from home. And in less than a year, the shop already has its regulars.
“And literally since day one, I’ve been a regular, not even lying since the first day of school, I’ve been a regular," Shantique Smith-Hayes said.
Smith-Hayes wanted a place to work after dropping her daughter off at school. It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with Aroma Cafe.
“I love the natural lighting, I love the natural plants, the coffee is excellent.”
For customers, it’s a taste of Puerto Rico. For Torres, it’s a taste of home.
“And we just want you to feel like you’re in a little corner in Puerto Rico, no matter what is happening out there, when you come, you transport," Torres said.
The shop's 1-year anniversary will be in December. They are planning multiple celebratory events to mark the occasion.
Aroma Cafe is open 7 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday. On the weekend, it's open 10 am - 3 pm. You can also find them at the South Shore farmer's market until Oct. 25.
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