Coffee People: Lee Lizotte, True Love Coffee Co.

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Guest: Lee Lizotte
Company: True Love Coffee Co.
Role: Founder + Head Roaster • Based: San Juan Capistrano, CA
Online: https://truelovecoffee.co • @truelovecoffeeco
What they drink: If they have a pour over menu, a pourover.

This morning, I drove up to San Juan Capistrano, an idyllic SoCal community if there ever was one to visit Lee Lizotte at his new space in the oversized entry of Freenote Cloth. It has been a long process, nearly two years, but the True Love cafe is only one inspection away from opening the doors.

Lee brewed a pourover (and then a cortado), and we sat out in a lovely communal space in front of the clothing space to chat about the challenges of living the life of an entrepreneur that is stuck in inspection stasis. He is so close to opening his doors. After such a long runway, he’s made a very zen-like peace with the process. The expansion of his wholesale and catering coffee company may wait a few more days, but when the pen is finally put to paper, he’ll be ready. And ready to do it with warmth and kindness.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PODCAST

Lee’s path to coffee began with a passion for learning. His willingness (and persistence) to ask questions at his local coffee shop, Hidden House, led to an opportunity to step behind the bar one day.
Lee went to Los Angeles to pursue new coffee opportunities. What he gained in new experiences he lost in quality of life outside the coffee space. He made the choice to return to San Juan Capistrano. The desire to be more financially stable led him to EMT school and a stint as a first responder, but the fit wasn’t there either. His home was in coffee. Starting True Love Coffee Co. became the best option for making a living and being able to spend quality time with his family.
Financial constraints and the fact that he had already quit his job forced him to retool his original plan. Instead of launching a full coffee shop first, he started with a coffee cart. He worked pop-ups and catering gigs, which ended up being the best thing for him and his business. He found a hole in the marketplace that offered room to grow.
Shout out to Jeff and the team at Bear Coast Coffee, who offered support and a space to roast when he needed it most.
Subletting space and collaborating with Freenote Cloth limited the financial burden that would have weighed on Lee if he had tried to open a True Love cafe on his own.
Working for himself enabled Lee to see his strengths and weaknesses as an entrepreneur in a very intense way. It made him feel vulnerable, but it also made him realize that the coffee industry was much more inclusive and supportive than he realized. He’s leaned into leaning on others for help, and they’ve been there to hold him up and push him forward. In the same way, he’s now there as a pillar for those around him.

True Love = Warm, Sweet, Kind. Being selfless and patient and caring in coffee and in love.