In the most critical moments of the coronavirus, the immigrant couple Andrés Webster and his wife Patricia Cabrera launched to open the business of their dreams, Café Goki, a cafeteria with Mexican smells and flavors in the city of Arcadia in northeast Los Angeles County. Angels
Along with their three children, Alfa, 24, Andrés, 20, and Aleph, 17, work hand in hand to move the fledgling family business forward amid sanitary restrictions and fear of COVID-19 contagion.
Since they lived in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Andrés is originally from, the Webster-Cabreras have always wanted to open a cafeteria, but it wasn't until last year that they got down to business.
"We decided to enter him after I lost my job at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles"Says Andrés.
For five years he had worked as a cultural attaché in the diplomatic headquarters of Mexico, but with the change of government and austerity policies he was unemployed in April 2019.
"That's when we said, this is the time to open the cafeteria."
And everything fits perfectly since, while he worked, Patricia, originally from Sonora, Mexico, had taken the time to study and train as a pastry chef.
"We initially planned to open CaféGoki for October 2019, but the savings ran out and we postponed it until March of this year," says Andrés.
However, the pandemic forced them to delay their plans; and it was not until May 23 that they opened their doors to the public, even with fear of COVID-19, and when only cafes and restaurants were allowed to sell on the go.
Why open in full health contingency?
"Due to the need to generate income”Andrés says without thinking twice.
And he acknowledges that the Arcadia City Council where they live and opened the business in front of the metro station, helped them and motivated them to open giving them all kinds of facilities and incentives.
“The first day we opened was very nervous. Our first clients were friends of our children. They were already waiting outside when we arrived, ”says Andrés, who points out that the first weeks were trial and error to see what works best.
In addition to a wide variety of coffees and smoothies, Patricia says they have been trying different options on the menu.
"At first we wanted to make something more American like gourmet sandwiches, but we discovered that people were inclined towards the Mexican," he says.
What is most in demand on the menu are: the chicken mole with red mole, the muffins and the turkey breast cake. But they also have coffee from Veracruz, Mexico; Oaxaca chocolate and the traditional Oaxacan pennyroyal tea. On weekends they sell tamales.
And in its wide range of desserts, the very Mexican flan, the rompope jelly and the corn bread served hot with a snowball stand out, if people want it.
“We are discovering a new world, and I am proud to see how the children have become involved and are working hard with us. Alfa is in charge of schedules, social networks and administration; Aleph and Andrés rotate in the box and prepare the smoothies. They are also being trained to be baristas. ”
The family has hired two young baristas to work on preparing the coffees.
And where did the idea of putting Goki to the cafeteria come from?
"We wanted to honor Oaxaca and the city of Arcadia where we live. The Arcadia icon is a peacock. In Zapotec language, peacock is called Beregoki which means Ave (Bere) and Noble (Goki). So we are left with Café Goki, which in Zapotec means Café Noble ”.
On one of the walls of Café Goki, you can see the explanation of the name.
A month and a half after opening the doors of the unique Café Goki, Andrés says that they are very tired because the work does not stop, but at the same time he feels very happy.
"When Los Angeles County authorized people to eat and sit in cafes and restaurants, sales improved a lot, but when the pandemic rebounded; and again they were only allowed to sell on the go, the business began to suffer. ”
Even with this stretch and loosen, and despite the fear of the virus and being forced to work with masks and other preventive measures, the Webster-Cabrera are happy to have been encouraged to undertake a historical stage when the world is in a pandemic.
The Goki Cafe is open on Mondays from 7 a.m. at 4 p.m .; Tuesday to Friday from 7 a.m. at 6 p.m .; Saturdays from 8 a.m. at 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. at 3 p.m.
It is located at 214 north of First Avenue in the city of Arcadia, opposite the Arcadia metro station.
