By Skylar Stock
This is not a food truck or a cafe pop-up — this coffee shop is in the trunk of a yellow 2017 Fiat 500.
Cristian Ramirez hand crafted Bean Slayer Coffee, a fully functioning coffee bar in a car that makes caffeine mobile.
Open from Tuesday to Sunday, the 29-year-old Los Angeles native and passionate coffee-lover is dedicated to serving beach-goers in Long Beach.
“I pop the hatch, show up to the beach and I make coffee,” Ramirez said.
Since starting the business in December, Ramirez said he has watched his dream turn into a reality as he frequents car meetups like Cars and Coffee and serves people at Junipero Beach.
“What better place to do it, right next to the water, right next to the ocean,” Ramirez said. “What better place to have as an office?”
While in San Francisco studying to become a dental assistant around four years ago, Ramirez worked at coffee shops as a part-time gig. It is there, where he said he instantly fell in love with the caffeine craft.
Even after leaving the barista lifestyle to pursue dental full time, Ramirez could not stay away.
Trouble hit, Ramirez said, when the economy took a dive and he struggled to find a dental assistant job after moving to Long Beach.
He cites a desire to be paid a livable wage, but was disappointed in his search for one.
“I got a bunch of lowballs here and there, so I just decided, ‘You know what? I’m gonna stop working for people and just go with my dream,’” Ramirez said.
Bean Slayer Coffee Owner Cristian Ramirez fills a syrup pump with vanilla syrup to sweeten the drink he is crafting on April 3. Ramirez started as a barista in the Bay Area and has brought his knowledge back to Los Angeles County. Photo credit: Skylar Stock
From there, Ramirez set out looking for an outlet for his barista goals. He posted his coffee creations on Instagram to get his fix, but still wanted to do more.
One rabbit hole down social media sparked an idea: traveling cafes.
As a coffee lover and car enthusiast, Ramirez was hooked and looked to his Fiat to tinker with.
“I measured everything, just watched a bunch of YouTube videos trying to find out how to do all the plumbing, and the water pump,” Ramirez said, “It’s fully functioning, it has a pitcher rinser, [and] a 5 gallon water tank.”
Ramirez said he got his entrepreneurial spirit from his mom who was a fruit vendor when he was a kid.
While growing up, Ramirez would tag alongside her, selling strawberries, grapes and mangos to different businesses.
He attributes his identity as a Mexican-American to the success he has seen so far.
“I’ve always kind of incorporated that into my lifestyle,” Ramirez said, “It’s why I just did it all myself.”
The menu consists of almost everything from a typical coffee shop, from espresso to matcha lattes. Customers can even indulge in a specialty s’mores hot chocolate.
An oat milk matcha latte, made by barista Cristian Ramirez. Included in his setup is multiple different options of milk to maximize options for customers. Photo credit: Skylar Stock
“I think it’s great because he can set up wherever the party’s at,” Daniel Orozco, a 33-year-old Long Beach resident, said. “Can’t do that with a permanent brick and mortar shop.”
Once a frequent customer, Orozco now considers himself a friend of Ramirez.
Looking around Junipero Beach, Ramirez located his frequent customers – recounting each of their orders. Among this crowd was Djonnalyn Elder, a 41-year-old Long Beach resident.
“It’s amazing, it’s like Starbucks on the go, at the beach,” Elder said.
As a current business owner, Elder said she understands the struggle of maintaining a self-starter. She enjoys supporting local businesses and the novelty of Bean Slayer Coffee.
“It’s a great business and I’m just really proud of people doing their own thing,” Elder said.
Just as Ramirez had pointed out, Elder’s favorite drink to order was hot chocolate. Now, her current dilemma is figuring out what drink to get from Bean Slayer Coffee in the summer.
Ramirez hopes that his business will grow with the heat.
“I used to have a five pound [coffee] bag, and it would last me like a week. Now it’s running out in a couple days, like three to four days. It’s definitely picking up,” Ramirez said.
Bean Slayer Coffee’s current location and information can be found on their Instagram and website.
