Meet Luana Peixoto | Entrepreneur & Coffee Truck Owner

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

Hi Luana, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success so far is that it is personal. This business is personal to me and that is reflected in how I interact with my customers. I try to share my passion and gratitude with every person who comes to the truck. Even though I know the coffee is good my hope is that they keep coming back because they feel welcome.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When I was younger I would have never guessed that I would be opening a coffee truck as an adult. I never liked coffee growing up. When I went to college I started drinking coffee for the procrastinating and late night studying. I would go to Starbucks because of the trendy factor and for hanging out more so than for coffee. It wasn’t until I became a flight attendant that I began to appreciate a quality cup of Joe. I would make it a point to look for the small coffee shops anywhere I travel. I love the environment of cafes. It is a great way to see local culture and community.

When COVID hit and I was furloughed from work I started working at a local cafe and watching videos on YouTube about coffee trucks. I love connecting with people, I love my Brazilian culture and love serving others. Opening a coffee truck inspired by my Brazilian culture and getting to share that with my community became a little dream of mine.

It took a few years of saving and planning until November of 2022 when I was finally able to purchase a coffee camper and begin bringing my vision to life. Opening any business where food is a factor involves hoops with regulations in the county, in the state…there are so many ways to go about accomplishing the same thing. And living on an island comes with its own obstacles, mainly being easy access to supplies. We don’t have an abundance of shopping options, commercial kitchens, or other resources that you can easily find on the main land.

It has been a roller coaster, a huge learning curve but it has been worth every challenge. I am definitely still learning. The only way to be successful is to know how to leverage your obstacles into opportunities for growth. I am loving every second of getting to serve and connect with my community and our visitors!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is such a hard question because the Keys are made for visitors! There are so many wonderful places to see. So here’s a list of some of my musts: Tacos at Taco Jalisco
Shave Ice from Ohana Sweet Shoppe
Sunset and Cocktails at Breezers
Key Lime Pie from Mrs. Macs
Waterside dining and live music from Zach Couron Sundays at The Key Largo Fisheries
Snorkeling or Sunset Cruise with Island Girl Snorkel
Authentic Italian Pizza at Italian Food Company in Key Largo
Swimming with Dolphins at Dolphins Plus
Almond croissants from Cafe Moka
And of Course a Churro or Brigadeiro latte from Cupacabana!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
100% of my success is thanks to the support of my family who help bring my crazy ideas to life, my friends who listen to my stressful ranting, the people in this community who come out each day and my coffee mentors at Cafe Moka who have been nothing but supportive and helpful in my cafe journey.

Instagram: Instagram.com/thecupacabana

Facebook: The Cupacabana