Hello!

Who am I?

I’m Erica Escalante and I am a seasoned specialty coffee professional and baker.

I am most known for my time being a cafe/bakery owner for nearly 10 years in the Portland, OR area, starting entrepreneurship at just 21 years old. My cafe was a beloved and bustling business, growing to 2 locations with a full bakery program (including over a dozen wholesale accounts), a full food program, and a commissary kitchen program renting out our kitchen to dozens of other small businesses in our city.

I made a huge life decision in 2021 to move back home to raise my kids in Southern California and thus closing my cafe and bakery. I jumped into big roles at other coffee companies like Canyon Coffee and Goodboybob Coffee Roasters, both in operations at different scales, and now I’m stoked to be using everything I’ve learned and experienced to help small businesses grow.

I remember so clearly the difficulties I faced as a small business owner with little resources, the loneliness I felt being in that position, and the sheer overwhelm of having to be everything to everyone while watching my money extremely closely from week to week. My focus is using my knowledge, skills, and perspective to help you put out the constant fires you’re up against, while bringing more ease to your life and your operations.

I currently live in Los Angeles, CA with my beautiful fiance, Tricia, and my two young daughters (5 & 10 years old).

I’m here to be the resource I wish I had when I was running my own companies and helping to grow others’ companies

What I Offer

Whether you’re still at the uber small stage of doing everything yourself, or you’re managing and growing a team, I can help.

  • My packaged services are common projects that I assist businesses with and make an immediate and huge impact. Things like revamping your menu signage, making a content calendar, or helping you develop a system for pricing out your offerings… Check out those services here.

  • Everyone needs a boost sometimes, and maybe you don’t even know where to start!

    Schedule a 30 minute consultation with me and let’s talk about those constant fires or what’s keeping you up at night. I will give you honest feedback and propose a plan for you to get where you want to be.

  • So you have a manager and have no idea what they should be doing for you or how to teach them how to help? Or maybe you have a great barista on your team who wants to be a manager but you have no time to train them…

    Let me at ‘em!

    I have been hiring and training managers for over 10 years and it’s one of my favorite things to do.

    With my 8 week mentorship program, I will grow and mentor you AND your cafe manager (or future cafe manager) to know how to grow your business, how to lead with empathy and inspiration, and embrace efficient and smooth operations.

    At the end of the program, you will have the tools to train and grow future managers with confidence, while using those same tools to grow your business and bring ease to your operations.

    Get more information here

  • I pride myself in being an excellent teacher and trainer. From leadership summits to specialty coffee conferences, to cafe teams and panels, I love breaking down large concepts in a way that inspires and sparks joy and passion.

    Want someone to come out and talk with your team about raising sales? I’m your girl!

    Need seed-to-cup specialty coffee education? I got you.

    I love sharing what I know in an approachable, fun, and engaging way, from 10 people to 150+. I have a range of curriculums that I’ve used for all my teams past and I would love to share them with your team.

    Reach out with what you have in mind and let’s chat!