[Editor\u2019s note: This is the first installment of our new, two article column, \u201cUptown brews,\u201d written by Jess Winans and Sara Butler, featuring neighborhood news on our two iconic Uptown stables \u2014 coffee and beer. This month features coffee shop Black Stag, \u201cNew kids on the block,\u201d<\/a> and brewery Thorn Brewing, \u201cA tasty pairing of Barons and Thorn.\u201d<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n Irma Castaneda and Gustavo Alvarado have a thing for good brews.<\/p>\n The newlywed business partners and owners of Black Stag Cafe in City Heights originally met in a brewery tasting room where Alvarado worked.<\/p>\n At the time, Castaneda was brewing a different type of buzz as a manager of a Jamba Juice in Pacific Beach. When she and Alvarado met, there was a spark and the two instantly hit it off.<\/p>\n A year or so later in 2015, Alvarado found the inspiration for opening a coffee shop as he was sitting on the patio of Cafe Moto in Barrio Logan.<\/p>\n \u201c[Cafe Moto] had a communal table outside and everybody was talking to each other,\u201d Alvarado said. \u201cFrom there I got the idea. I knew I couldn\u2019t build a brewery, but I could see the same concepts of a brewery within a coffee shop \u2014 bringing people together that quite honestly don\u2019t know each other, to enjoy a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n When Alvarado introduced the idea to Castaneda, she was initially skeptical.<\/p>\n \u201cHe proposed the idea within the first year of us dating,\u201d she said. \u201cI was like, \u2018This is a lot of commitment.\u2019 So I kind of said no. Then, I transitioned to another job and he transitioned to another brewery.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite Castaneda\u2019s initial skepticism, when Alvarado later brought home a colossal La Pavoni Espresso 3 Group espresso machine, it seemed like the coffee shop might be a possible reality.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw an espresso machine come up for sale \u2014 keep in mind at this point I had never touched an espresso machine in my life,\u201d Alvarado said. \u201cI had no clue what to look for and I had no clue what I was doing. But I saw a commercial-sized espresso machine and I bought it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[The machine] was huge. It was a monster,\u201d Castaneda said. \u201cAnd I remember, because we didn’t know anything about espresso machines. He was so excited about that thing.\u201d<\/p>\n The couple spent several weekends cleaning that machine. As their bond began to develop, so did their plan for the business. The duo began asking themselves what equipment they needed to buy, how to fund the cafe and where they wanted the shop to call home.<\/p>\n Knowing they would eventually need a name, Castaneda and Alvarado decided on Black Stag, inspired by the Mexican folklore and symbolism surrounding the animal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe stag resembles strength and wisdom. It resembles being a leader,\u201d Alvarado said. \u201cI also wanted to give it a play on my personal life. I\u2019ve always kind of been the black sheep of the family \u2014 not in a bad way, I\u2019ve just done things differently. And I\u2019ve always been my own, quirky and different person. So when I was looking at something and saw the stag it just immediately hit me.\u201d<\/p>\n After agreeing on a name, Alvarado began looking at locations. He fell in love with City Heights. After taking Castaneda for a drive to different vacant places in the area, they finally settled on their El Cajon Boulevard home.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t want to say City Heights is rougher, but I feel like it just has a lot of potential,\u201d Alvarado said. \u201cDriving around it, I felt like it was missing something. I felt like it was really divided. You have little sections going on.<\/p>\n \u201cBut when you come over here to El Cajon Boulevard, you see they\u2019re trying to build something here,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe\u2019re not what you would consider your typical coffee shop where everything is white; we\u2019re not that kind of place. We built Black Stag Cafe out with our own vision.\u201d<\/p>\n Black Stag is a third wave coffee shop with a simple menu that features classics like espresso, cappuccino and cold brew. They spice things up with specialty lattes and honey varietals including avocado honey. Alvarado and Castaneda use beans from Coava, a Portland-based roaster that uses direct trade policies and moral business ideals.<\/p>\n \u201cThe local police and firefighters love it here,\u201d Alvarado said. \u201cThe concept of building a community place here has really taken off. Everyday we find someone new who has a friend that told them about us. It\u2019s a vast little neighborhood, you know?<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, we\u2019re here to stay in the community,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt sounds cheesy but a year from now when you\u2019re doing yoga [at Honey Yoga, Black Stag\u2019s neighbor] and you walk by, you\u2019re not going to recognize this street. It\u2019s changing.\u201d<\/p>\n Black Stag Cafe is located at 4966 El Cajon Blvd. Follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram at @blackstagcafe.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/black-stag-owners.jpg\")
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