Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Welti.
Hi Alex, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Being in a transit center, Cool Down Coffee is visited by not only local people but also people who come and go to Mexico as well as tourists from other continents. We are visited by people from Asia, Europe, South America, Central America, Canada as well as national tourism. -TIJUANA – It is a busy Friday at the Tijuana border crossing: about 90,000 people march across the elevated pedestrian bridge, a mix of tourists, shoppers, workers, and students moving at a symbiotic pace. They spend, work, and study on both sides of the border. Its coming and going takes place before what is perhaps the most fortified part of the wall that is located along the 3,170 kilometers of the border between Mexico and the United States.- The New York Times Feb 21, 2019
For over eight years, God has given us the great privilege and opportunity to serve our community in Chula Vista impacting the two sides of the United States-Mexico border.
Our vision: to continue serving the community
Cool Down Coffee first opened the last week of December 2011 at Eastlake Village Walk, a shopping center in east Chula Vista. The coffee Shop was there for a year and eight months.
Throughout the week, the coffee shop started hosting Bible studies and events.
We planned the coffee shop’s target market to be for sports and athletes.
On August 29, 2013 Cool Down Coffee closed the location at Eastlake to move to the west of Chula Vista. The city of Chula Vista had offered us to participate in a contest to manage the E st trolley station public restrooms and take over the building and establish the cafeteria there. By the Grace of God, In December of 2013 Cool Down Coffee won the contest; Within a short time, We started all the paperwork for the business licenses and remodeling permits. It took until February 29, 2015, when Cool Down Coffee opened at its new location.
In March 2014, we started a coffee cart for seven months outside the building where we would eventually move inside once the licenses, permits and remodeling were processed.
Originally the building where the new Cool Down Coffee was going to be was a visitor’s center. The visitor’s center was damaged. There was little surveillance, with many people misusing the facilities and their surroundings.
We began to interact with people of different nationalities and backgrounds: people with diseases, people with mental illnesses, gang members, thieves, drug addicts, prostitutes (these last two groups misused the place in their practices). We had to deal with them, confront them, at times call the police. Share the gospel and disciple some of them. We can’t imagine going through those situations without God’s help!
We are working at the coffee shop giving more importance to the main objective, to share our faith and be light in the place where we are. The Lord has cleaned the area, the bathrooms are now used with more respect (most of the time, not 100% yet). There is still a lot of work to do, a lot of people to reach. We have seen the hand of GOD working and prospering the work. We have seen the conversion of some people. Testimonies of people who stopped doing wrong things that we’re planning to do like commit suicide, robberies but changed their minds after listening to the Word.
Wednesday 18:00: The premises were provided to a ministry for free food offered. Every Wednesday 10 weeks per semester.
Thursdays 12:00: The premises were provided to a Pastor for Bible Study.
Thursdays 13:00: Cool Down Coffee offers free ESL classes at the Coffee shop in which free food is offered to the Hispanic community that does not speak English.
The coffee shop also hosts lectures and specials.
At this time, due to the Covid 19 restrictions all activities are suspended. Hopefully, that we can restart activities soon, God willing.
To see a little video of Cool Down Coffee
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, never has been smooth and the pandemic has been the big one.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in expresso drinks and bagels sandwiches. But the most important to us is the customer experience.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
You will need perseverance and the most important thing you make sure you love what you do.
Contact Info:
- Email: Cooldowncoffeealex@gmail.com
- Website: www.cooldowncoffee.com
- Instagram: cooldowncoffee
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/294886533907686/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCeUbriRKVFSaG0iRBgLC0Aw
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/cool-down-coffee-chula-vista-5
Image Credits
Mynes
