The origins of Oxford’s signature cafe on wheels, otherwise known as Caffecitos, was a lot of time spent around sweet morning coffee and a kick of inspiration from the friendly Starship robots on campus.
The bright yellow coffee truck located on University Avenue is co-owned by Pablo Corona and his partner, Chad Collier.
“Well, I’ll be honest, the long answer is that Chad (Collier) has a lot of experience with coffee,” Corona said while going into detail about the start of Caffecitos.
Before the duo found true coffee success at Caffecitos, Collier had already racked up an extensive coffee related resume. Collier’s record includes managing three separate Highpoint coffee shops in Oxford and later coming back to roast for them following time they spent in New York.
After a hiatus in the coffee industry, Collier would once again return, but this time working for Starship at the University of Mississippi. It was there that he took note of the top selling product: coffee.
Collier reported back to Corona and suggested that the two take a different approach to the coffee-selling format. From there, they purchased the trailer and created Caffecitos.
“We bought a little trailer and equipped it with all the things so that now it’s literally a coffee shop in a buffet trailer,” Corona said, referencing the origins of the truck.
Corona also shared that he is incredibly thankful for the community’s support in making the truck a success from the beginning, despite there being a little fear that it would not take off right away.
“The students — y’all found us on day one,” Corona said. “For us, this is a marathon — it’s a long term commitment. It’s not about seeing success right away, but I’m so grateful that the return came back right away, meaning that the community responded.”
According to Corona, however, it is not just the coffee that people are buying, it’s the atmosphere. Corona shared that the secret to Caffecitos’ welcoming spirit is the collaborative effort between himself, Collier and others on the team.
“Between me being a game show host to the public and Chad creating flavors that are amazing, we figured we can do this,” Corona said.
Corona also shined a positive light on another customer-favorite team member at Caffecitos, Teresa Adams, before making the heart-breaking announcement that she will be making her departure from Caffecitos to pursue other avenues of work.
“We knew that she was another professional that can help us continue to grow,” Corona said in praise of Adams. “This is our little business and we can’t just trust anyone with it, but Teresa (Adams) is one of a kind.”
With the exit of Adams, however, comes the opportunity for something new to grow. Corona spilled the coffee beans on the entrance of Caffecitos newest hire: Sydney Parker.
“You’ll meet her. She’s amazing,” Corona said.
Corona also revealed that it was Parker who is responsible for what he calls the truck’s must-try beverage.
“The white Irish mocha is our sensation,” Corona said. “It was Sydney’s (Parker) idea.”
Corona remains heavily optimistic about the future of Caffecitos because of the employee additions to the team.
“Us adding people means it’s working,” Corona said. “We can pay someone where initially it was just us.”
The future continues to shine bright for Caffecitos, as they are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Corona even expressed that there may be a building for Caffecitos on the horizons if things continue to stay positive for the team.
“We will keep the trailer for as long as we can, but there will probably be a storefront or a cafe,” Corona said. “We don’t have any dates yet, but we’ll find a place hopefully soon.”
In a moment of gratitude, Corona reflected on his time at Caffecitos thus far. He called the customers who come up to the Caffecitos window his “friends” that he has met on this journey.
“I have made so many new friends just because I spilled coffee, ” Corona said. “They confide in me, they trust me, they tell me their stories, their secrets at that little window… and so that little window is a privilege for me.”
To get the full Caffecitos experience, head over to 1801 University Ave. in Oxford.
