We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
Growing up, I was always an “A” student who did everything she was told. I always strived for more difficult classes and never skipped a single homework assignment or school day. I rode through high school with pride, “knowing” that I was going to become one of the best health services administrators around.

Like many in my generation, society taught us that we needed to obtain a degree to be able to get anywhere in life (which could not be more wrong). So, when the time came to attend a university, I was ecstatic to obtain my degree. I had planned to go from an associate’s to a bachelor’s to a master’s in health administration without a doubt in my mind. I was working in the healthcare field at the time and liked the industry – or so I thought.

The years went by, and I finally got my bachelor’s degree during the start of the pandemic; however, my doubts had started creeping up on me by this point. As I was finally going to sign up for the master’s program, like a stray lightning bolt striking a blue sky, I suddenly realized that this was not what I wanted to do. I had loved coffee all my life, but could a career ride on what seemed at the time like a silly passion?

How could I, after just having obtained my bachelor’s in health administration, which could potentially lead me to make hundreds of thousands in the future, now make a 180° and tell my parents, family, and friends that I wanted to pursue a career in the coffee industry? I was shocked at my own doubts; for some time, I didn’t want to believe or go through with them.

But the thoughts were intrusive and never left my mind. So much so, that strong emotions were brought about for a while.

Nevertheless, after a lot of time to think about what I truly wanted for ME, and after conducting a lot of research, I made a difficult decision – to put everything that I thought I wanted behind me for good… To go after what, in my heart, I felt was right – to open up my own small coffee business!

And with this decision, came one of the best ones that I could have made: to launch my very own mobile coffee cart for events.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
AJ’s Coffee Break is a mobile coffee cart that caters to private events in South Florida (and beyond). Whether the event is a wedding, baby shower, graduation, corporate meeting, or school event, we can serve delicious, handcrafted espresso-based drinks! We will be offering hot and iced drinks, signature lattes, teas, hot chocolate for the kiddos (and adults, of course), and professional service and big smiles from our baristas.

Our espresso machine and grinder are among the higher-quality (and most beautiful) ones in the market. We took plenty of time to research the equipment that was available, as we wanted to ensure that the machines will hold up in high-demand situations and also be quiet for events. Many lower-quality grinders make way too much noise, which could interfere with guests’ experience at events. We only picked the best of the best.

Our cart, which will be engraved with our logo, has a lovely white exterior and a sleek black top to fit in at any event. We are still awaiting the arrival of our beautiful cart, which we should hopefully be receiving at the end of May! We are so excited to show the South Florida community the finishing touches.

Even without being able to show a photo of the cart and everything completed, we have received over twenty inquiries thus far and have even booked our first TWO events for this year! We could not be more grateful to everyone that has reached out and to the parties that booked us already, as it shows that they are willing to put their trust in us as a new small business. We cannot wait to show everyone what we are bringing to the table (well, to the event)!

Aside from having this unique, handmade coffee cart, another thing that sets us apart from other carts is that we craft our own HOMEMADE SYRUPS. We do not believe in serving drinks and syrups that contain preservatives and other icky things. While this route might be the most convenient since they are ready and come in opportune pump bottles, we just simply feel more confident and comfortable with our own syrups – and I must say, they are DELICIOUS! We are proud to say that we are among the few that take the time and initiative to create our own.

We want the world to know that we are just a couple of small business owners and coffee enthusiasts with big dreams to fulfill. We plan on bringing only the best artisanal espresso-based drinks to all events in our community – and by the community, we mean many surrounding counties, like Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe, Collier, and more. We are not scared to tackle distance, and we certainly do not want to stay in one place. The more coffee lovers we can extend our reach out to, the happier we are because that just means they’ll be getting exquisite drinks made by our hands!

There is a lot in store for us in the future. Whether this be adding more coffee carts to our business or expanding to a brick-and-mortar, we are itching to tell the world about our business!

With this, we also hope to strike up some motivation in others. We hope to be inspiring to those who may be on the fence about what path to take for themselves. It may not always be about jumping in and taking a huge step without thinking about any risks, though; there are calculated moves that need to be taken first.

Nevertheless, we believe that if you have a dream in your heart that you’re too scared to do anything about, you need to do a few things:

Take that initial step in conducting the research necessary, work on building up your confidence, maintain the willpower necessary to stick to your goal, and sling your foot in that door with a poised smile on your face, only looking forward.

With our business, we hope to get this message across, too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take my best friend to many different areas. While South Florida can be a little difficult to get around because of congestion and heavy traffic, there is no doubt that there are many fun things to do and beautiful things to see around here.

There are a few things I’d put into our little itinerary.

We’ll list city by city, leading with the coffee shops that I recommend the most in each area, of course (can’t leave anything coffee-related out of this!).

Starting off with Kendall, I’d take my friend to Macondo Coffee Roasters. Not only do they have a variety of delicious bakery items, sandwiches, and drinks, they roast their own beans! Plus, one of the owners, Carolina, is just so sweet, friendly, and extremely passionate about what she does. In fact, to this day, she is one big reason for my making the decision to open up my own coffee business. I’m forever grateful for the little chat we had a while back. Thanks, Carolina!

While hanging around Kendall and after having enjoyed our yummy breakfast, I’d take a trip to Zoo Miami. This always makes for a fun day trip; who doesn’t love to see some cute and fascinating animals?

The next day, we’d go north a little to Doral. I’d take my friend over to CityPlace Doral, starting off with a delectable breakfast at Juan Valdez Café. Their adorable little shop and wonderful drinks always keep me coming back. Afterward, you’re already in a fun place to be! CityPlace, with its enchanting, computer-controlled, “music show” (and expensive to construct – $4 million!) fountain, is a great place to lounge around for a while. They have several restaurants that are good for lunch and dinner, but my favorite hangout spot there is Kings Dining & Entertainment. You can go bowling and play billiards while enjoying a well-crafted cocktail. They even have a private karaoke room for small parties!

If we go up to Hialeah, we’d start off our third day by visiting Trigo Cafe. Albeit a very small cafe, their food is always on point. There is consistently fast and friendly service, and there is no better place to go in Hialeah for a traditional Cuban café con leche and breakfast – not to mention their amazing signature Trigo shakes, of which I can never get enough! The owners, a husband and wife, are some of the friendliest people you can meet. They are extremely humble and, although the pandemic may have been a big hit for them, they came out shining on top – and even opened up their own beer, wine, and tapas room right next door! A big congratulations to them for this wonderful accomplishment. It fills my heart to see small business owners growing and succeeding as these two did.

After having a hearty breakfast at Trigo, we could take a stroll through Westland Mall, which has a variety of shops to go to. Later on, we can have a fun park day at Amelia Earheart Park. Containing numerous recreational activities, like bike trails, fishing, and water activities, you can never have a boring time at this historic park dedicated to the famous American pioneer.

On our fourth day, we can explore Miami Lakes. Although Miami Lakes has many corporate offices, there is a social hub that it’s famous for: Main Street. To start, we’d grab a quick bite at the nearby Einstein Brothers Bagels. I love their bagels and never get bored of their asiago one! We’d explore Miami Lakes and I’d show my friend the various little shops and restaurants around. For lunchtime, I would take my friend to La Traila Barbecue, a small business that offers one of the best briskets and pulled pork meals I have ever eaten.

On our fifth day, I’d take my friend up to Pembroke Pines, specifically the Pembroke Gardens Mall. This is an outdoor mall consisting of a variety of retail shops, restaurants, bars, and a beautiful, relaxing fountain. More than anything, I’d be most thrilled to show my friend the new bakery that opened last year (I think): Lady Baker. With the combination of the owner’s exhilarating passion for her business, the beautiful interior of the shop, the aroma of freshly baked bread filling your nostrils, and the high-quality espresso drinks, this is definitely a gold mine that I’m glad joined the mall. In my opinion, the mall was in serious need of a good coffee shop and bakery.

Afterward, we could go over to C.B. Smith Park, which is a massive park that has its own waterpark! We’ll be ready with our swimsuits!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Throughout the difficult months that consisted of me going back and forth with my thoughts and doubts, my husband, Andres, was always there by my side, supporting me without hesitation.

For every moment that I was uncertain of what I wanted, Andy would hear me out and come up with solutions that were constructive and helpful. And he would hear me out A LOT.

In the months leading up to my ultimate decision, I would often come home visibly angry from having to work at my 9-5 job (which was in healthcare, by the way). He would take the time to actively listen to my rants before he would build me back up again by offering his limitless support.

Even after having left my healthcare job and finding another one before I started with the coffee business, he would still find me very unhappy. Something in me had shifted – something so big that there was no coming back from. Once I had opened my eyes to the vicious cycle that a 9-5 job really is, and once I had discovered that I wanted to follow my parents’ footsteps in being a small business owner, there was no way I would step one foot backward… Andy was always there to make sure I held my head up high and never looked back, even when the doubts would try to sneak in again.

So, for this and so much more that he has done, I’m grateful beyond words. We have been in a relationship now for nine years and married for two, and we now have our beautiful baby girl, Penelope, who is 10 months old. We will make sure she always knows that she can follow her true dreams and that we’ll never judge. We know that when you truly pour your heart, effort, sweat, and tears into something, only success can come about, so long as you’re consistent with it.

Website: www.ajscoffeebreak.com

Instagram: @ajs_coffeebreak

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/ajscoffeebreak

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ajscoffeebreak

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ajs-coffee-break-davie

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ajs_coffeebreak https://dot.cards/ajscoffeebreak

Image Credits
Arnaldo Jimenez – AJ PhotoPlus https://ajphotoplus.com/

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