Mendez and her sister—who originally hail from Monterrey, Mexico—chose the name Otomi because of its ties to Mexican culture. The sisters attended the Texas Coffee School in Arlington where they learned how to be baristas.
Otomi coffee is made exclusively from coffee beans sourced from the Chiapas and Veracruz regions in Mexico and roasted by What's Brewing Coffee Roasters in San Antonio.
They sell a variety of signature espresso drinks made with syrups, including the Salado, a salted caramel and white mocha topped with heavy whipped foam; the El Fresa, a strawberry and white chocolate coffee topped with heavy strawberry cream; and the Bombon, a toasted marshmallow and white chocolate coffee. Otomi also sells a variety of lemonade along with chai lattes, teas and matcha.
"We decided we just wanted to focus on coffee and some pastries, and wanted to be independent and have our own business, and kind of bring something to the community from our country," Mendez said.
Mendez recommends Otomi's coffee for first-time customers, because it is not super sweet and has a balanced flavor.
The sisters like to incorporate a variety of their favorite Mexican candies into coffee as well.
“Our coffee comes from Mexican soil, and we also specialize in some different Mexican flavors that we grew up with,” Mendez said.
One example is Otomi’s hazel nut, vanilla and strawberry coffee inspired by Duvalin, a creamy Mexican candy. Mendez said the community has been supportive of Otomi.
“I think everybody has been surprised, and they like it. Once they try our coffee, they love it,” Mendez said. “I don’t want to sound too prideful, but we do have a delicious blend.”
In the future, Mendez and Romero said they would like to expand and have a brick-and-mortar location.
