The coffee carts will set up at the local Metro stations, and give the formerly incarcerated and underserved youth employment and business opportunities.
By Jason Lewis
Ora Urban Cafe owner Tony Jolly has taken his Leimert Park coffee shop mobile. He attached a coffee cart to a bicycle and road it down to the Metro station at Crenshaw Boulevard and Obama Boulevard. His cart was the only place to buy a cup of coffee within a few blocks of the train station, so many people were happy to see him. This led to a great idea to help some people in need.
“While I was out there I thought that this would be a great job for somebody who is re-entering society,” Jolly said. “I reached out to Metro and said that I have this plan. They came to visit our roasting location and they thought that it was a great idea. Since the idea was conceptualized I realized that this needs to be an opportunity for underserved youth as well.”
Metro will supply the bicycle carts, and Jolly will teach people the ins and outs of the coffee business.
“This gives people barista training, and if they want to, there’s a social entrepreneur component where they can own the coffee cart,” he said.
There are over 1,000 coffee shops in Los Angeles. With this type of training, people can find work all over the city. Los Angeles will be host to several major events over the next decade, and the city is promoting the Metro rail as a way to travel, which would mean that there will be a lot of customers for a coffee cart.
“As all of the events come to L.A. over the next several years, a lot of the tourists and newcomers to the city will be navigated to take the Metro,” Jolly said. “So we can be an asset at these stations.”
