Erica Escalante's Reina Cafe Accelerator Takes Aim at Helping Independent Coffee Shops Flourish

Coffee consultant Erica Escalante, who previously owned cafes, a bakery, and a commissary kitchen, is introducing a small-group accelerator designed to give newer coffee shops the support they need to succeed.

The Reina Cafe Accelerator is a 24-week mentorship program created by Escalante, who is based in Southern California. According to the program's website, it supplies "real guidance [shop owners] need to have a thriving business."

Applications are open through March 23, 2025. The program targets owners whose cafes have been in operation for at least one year. A selection committee will evaluate applications and pick eight participants for the inaugural cohort.

The accelerator includes:

• Weekly group sessions on operational subjects such as budgeting, branding, and sales
• Individual coaching sessions
• Guest speakers drawn from across the industry
• Practical resources and tools tied to the learning goals

Escalante was 21 when she opened her first cafe in Portland, Oregon. The business later grew to a second location and a full-scale baking operation serving wholesale clients. She moved into consulting in 2024 after holding operations roles at coffee companies including Canyon Coffee and Goodboybob Coffee Roasters.

"I love being a consultant because I love helping people," Escalante says. "Very early in my consulting journey, I was meeting people who were struggling with very little budgets, which made me think, 'How can I help these amazing business owners while still taking care of my own family and bills?'"

The Reina Cafe Accelerator joins a widening set of business development resources aimed at coffee entrepreneurs.

Those accepted will devote one to five hours a week to the program, which starts April 11. The cost is $1,100, payable in five monthly installments of $220. According to the website, most accelerator programs "cost thousands of dollars or demand equity in your company, making them out of reach for many small business owners."

"I wanted to build something different—something truly accessible, impactful, and tailored for independent cafes—and I can't do it alone," Escalante says.

Running the program in a group format lets Escalante take her expertise beyond one-on-one consulting and reach a larger number of cafe owners. She credits her own experience in the 2020 cohort of the Built Oregon Accelerator, which she joined for her bakery business, as an inspiration.

"The amount of loving support I received from the director, Mitch, was just unmatched. I never felt like he was judging me," she says. "Having an advocate like that was so inspiring, and I want to be that for others. It was in those classes, through those homework assignments, that I discovered who I really was."

Industry partners are sponsoring the Reina Cafe Accelerator, among them Spirit Tea, Created Co., and Proper Syrups; this publication will also provide support as the program's media sponsor. "I am so truly honored by their support and their care for the industry," Escalante says. "Our industry is full of people with big hearts—they all heard this idea, and all said yes."

Escalante notes that a central part of the program will involve posting updates on social media "and real moments from our cohort members as they work on their cafes."

The program is meant to give participants the core knowledge that successful cafe operators rely on. "It's all the lessons I've had to teach to my clients over and over again to lead people to success and profitability," she says, adding that there are "fun things in store for the participants yet to be announced."

Business owners who want more details can visit the Reina Cafe Accelerator website, where they can also apply.