"Those folks have been slower to come in, but those are the ones who are going to drive the success of the business," Romero said. He'd like to reach 600 transactions a day, the average for large-chain locations, he said.
When they do venture in, part of Romero's job is to deprogram their coffee-chain habits and lingo. He's had some success talking morning commuters into trying a full-fat, full-sugar and thus full-flavor version of their drinks, although he said he was happy to follow customer orders.
Getting consumers to try a new store can also be a hurdle for any small-business owner.
"He's got to get people to try it once, and if they try it once, they'll be back," said Zell, noting that changing consumers' morning coffee routines can be hard.
Romero also has little to spend on marketing. A website is still in the future. He hopes his grand opening Friday helped get the word out.
Training employees on the equipment and teaching them the finer points of coffee are also nonstop efforts that take time and require his presence, Romero has found.
He experimented with coffee drinks in his parents' kitchen while coming up with his current drink menu. Although neither his mom nor dad is much of a coffee drinker, Romero said he had at least persuaded them to give up the instant coffee that once occupied their cupboards.
Zell sees "almost an infinite appetite" for specialty coffee. "We are really just getting started."
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cyndia.zwahlen@latimes.com
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Tierra Mia Coffee Co.
Who: Ulysses Romero, owner
What: An upscale South Gate coffeehouse serving artisanal coffees, including Latin-inspired specialties, and pastries
When: Opened in March
Why: Romero, a Stanford MBA graduate and former business consultant, saw an opportunity to meet the rising demand for specialty coffee while serving the growing Latino community.
How: 18 investors and eight part-time employees
What's next? Romero hopes
to hit $1 million in annual sales within five years, open additional company-owned locations nearby and establish a nonprofit group focused on childhood literacy in his community.
