Inspired by her abuela from El Salvador, Iced Intentions honors cultural roots

Esmeralda Raya moved to Bakersfield with her husband and three children five years ago in pursuit of homeownership. Little did she know that the time she spent with her grandmother having coffee in the mornings would inspire her to become a Latina entrepreneur. 

Raya created Iced Intentions, using one-of-a-kind flavors of Salvadoran-sourced coffee beans that she sells from her very own home and at local farmers' markets. 

Raya drew inspiration to start her business from her grandmother, Mercedes Espinoza, whose love for cafecito in the mornings shaped her passion for coffee. “Growing up, I always remember her telling her stories about working in the fields in El Salvador picking the coffee,” she said. “We always had fresh coffee at home and it was always a time when we would share moments together, share quality time together, so coffee was always a very special ingredient in our home, even though we grew up not having a lot.”

Coffee was more than just a beverage in Raya’s family; it was a symbol of togetherness and a warm offering to anyone who stepped into their home. From November through March, Raya’s grandmother would return to her home country during coffee season to work in the fields. 

The timing sometimes shifted depending on the location of the farms and how high in the volcanic mountains the coffee was grown. Most often, Espinoza worked at a field called Finca Los Pinos, which is near where Raya now gets her coffee imported to serve to her customers.

Every pink cup Raya pours for her Bakersfield community is a tribute to her grandmother, her Salvadoran heritage and the hard work of the farmworkers who make it possible. “It's also about respect for the coffee because I feel like having someone that has to go through that hard work and coming from nothing, a lot of people forget to give, and not only for coffee but just field workers, the respect that they deserve because without them we wouldn't have those special moments that we had with my grandma when she was here,” Raya shared.

She also told CALÓ News that every time she sees her customers enjoying her coffee or other drinks in her menu she feels a mix of emotions. “I feel a lot of pride, a lot of gratitude, but it also gets me emotional because it reminds me of certain moments that I shared with my grandma when she was here. And me and my grandma were very close, so when I see people come with their loved ones or with their kids or with their friends and they're sharing that time of joy together, it reminds me of moments that I used to share with my grandma when we would drink coffee,” Raya said.

Throughout the five months of her business, Raya’s biggest support system has been her husband and kids as they have stepped in with tasks and even as drink testers and critics. “I would make drinks and my husband would have to try them all out and tell me which ones were good and which ones weren't,” she said. “I also have a very close friend who has believed in me even through all the days that I didn't believe in myself and I felt like giving up.”

One of the biggest challenges Raya faced as a Latina entrepreneur was learning to believe in herself. She said that growing up in a Latino household, she was taught from a young age that women were expected to stay home and care for the children rather than pursue their dreams or do work they loved. “I feel like [those expectations] being ingrained in me [made it] very hard for me to believe in my vision and believe in my dream,” Raya said.

Another challenge that she had to face was having to wear different hats for her business, such as coming up with the recipes, menu items, branding and even marketing. “All of that has been very challenging because I don't have any blueprint or any guidance, so it's kind of been trial and error with a lot of stuff. But little by little I started to just learn how and to trust myself,” she said. 

Iced Intentions menu items are original recipes that Raya has had the pleasure to perfect and they all include different flavors that her grandma would always have available for her family at home. The top-selling item in her menu is also her favorite coffee drink called Besitos Brunette. “It's just that perfect blend between the coffee flavor and the sweetness, so you get the best of both worlds.” It also includes a creamy cold foam, cookie crumbles and cookie butter lined up around the cup. Other iced lattes on the menu are Dulce Moon-Kiss, Morenita Morning and Nube Blush.

Raya also shared advice with CALÓ News for other Latinas who want to start their own business as well. “The biggest advice I would give is just to believe in yourself and just do it,” she said. “I know that we're always trying to wait for the right moment or the right time or when we feel we have enough people that will come to support us. But the truth is, there's never a right time. You just have to believe in yourself and have faith in your vision and the rest will fall into place.”