ST. FRANCIS, Wis. — Behind the counter at La Finca Coffeehouse, two sisters offer the community cups filled with culture.
“We wanted to focus it on what it was to like be in Oaxaca,” said Lizeth Zorrila Sanchez.
Lizeth and Janeth knew they wanted to become entrepreneurs to create stability for their family who faced the struggles of being undocumented in the United States, but they didn’t know how they would do it until they made a trip back to where they were born in Mexico in 2016.
“Growing up we always knew the farm existed,” she said. “We never knew the name of it. We just always called in La Finca.”
La Finca means ‘the farm’ in Spanish. Their grandfather’s farm is where five generations of Lizeth’s family have grown coffee beans in the middle of a mountain range.
“My grandfather put two bags of coffee in my suitcase and like, share it with your friends,” Lizeth said.
Lizeth decided to share it with more than just friends. She convinced her sister to open a business to share it with strangers.
“She’s like, ‘That’s crazy. We don’t know anything about that,’” Lizeth said.
Lizeth knew the centerpiece of their coffee shop would be their grandfather’s product and doing their part to keep it in the family for a sixth generation.
“Do you think most of your customers know that the coffee they’re drinking is from your grandfather’s farm in Mexico?” TMJ4 reporter Ben Jordan asked.
“I honestly think it’s about a 50/50,” Lizeth replied. "I still hear people say, ‘Wow, I had no idea and I’ve been coming here for about two years now.’”
But just as important as it is for Lizeth to keep a connection with her grandfather is being able to work alongside her sister and parents.
“Even though my sister and I are the names and the faces to it, my mom helps us out in the kitchen,” she said. “It’s her recipes that we create. It’s her way of doing things that we were able to learn and my dad is super instrumental in us being able to obtain our coffee.”
La Finca Coffeehouse is holding an anniversary party on Sunday to celebrate its 6th year in business. For more information on the event, click here.
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