SAN JOSE — On South First Street, Nirvana Soul is already an oasis.
Starting before 9 a.m. Saturday, a crowd of more than 70 people trickled down the road on foot, bicycle and roller skates, stretching all the way from the new coffee shop’s pink sign to the California Theatre. Co-owner Be’Anka Ashaolu buzzed up and down the line, handing out water bottles, while her sister and co-owner Jeronica Macey worked the coffee counter inside.
Just a few minutes into the Black and women-owned coffee shop’s first day of business — punctuated with a ribbon-cutting and enormous cheers from the caffeine-hungry crowd — the atmosphere was as close to a full-on celebration as the pandemic allows.
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“I’m feeling great,” said Ashaolu, gesturing toward the joyful queue. “I’m just looking around and there are all these people — it’s beyond what I expected. It’s insane.”
Nirvana Soul’s opening marks the culmination of more than 10 years of dreaming and scheming between Ashaolu and Macey — and even though the pandemic has toppled businesses across the Bay Area like dominoes, the sisters are determined to make it work.
They grew up in both East and South San Jose with longtime ties to the city; their grandmother lived in the same Eastside home for decades until her death. Over the years, the duo bounced between different career paths and cities — Macey, 35, as a barista and Ashaolu, 34, as a professional marketer — but opening a coffee shop together in the heart of their hometown remained a constant.
When they finally decided to take the plunge, the sisters hosted their business pitch party at Caffe Frascati, a beloved live music and open mic spot off of San Carlos Street — and just a week later, they learned that the owners were looking to sell in a stunning moment of serendipity. They eventually closed on the deal after months of negotiation, and their loan came through just after the pandemic hit.
Still, the sisters never considered backing out. The shop’s three employees will have their temperatures taken each morning, an idea they got from Academic Coffee a few blocks away, and abide by a strict mask and cleaning policy.
“We’ve always said the difference between people who succeed and people who don’t is not giving up,” Ashaolu. “We’d rather fail spectacularly than not try. We’re just going for it.”
With gatherings on hold, the specialty tea, coffee, waffles and bakery The French Spot’s pastries will be the main attraction. But when things ease up, the sisters plan to host open mics and live music.
The sisters are also acutely aware of the dearth of Black-owned businesses in the South Bay and San Jose in particular, where just about 3% of the city’s million residents are Black. Ashaolu wants the space to give Black residents a feeling of ownership, starting with the physical space — which is dotted with paintings and murals from local South Bay Black and brown artists.
Last week, one participating artist told the sisters it was his very first time showing work in San Jose, Ashaolu said.
“Just hearing that alone was amazing — we want this to feel like home,” she said. “We’ve gotten a ton of messages from people of color saying, ‘This means so much to me that you’re doing this. San Jose just doesn’t have anything like this, I feel so alone here.'”
That message resonated with city residents who showed up Saturday morning to support the sisters. Anthony Gooch, 35, who lives downtown, first learned about Nirvana Soul’s opening online and arrived early to get his usual black coffee with two shots of espresso.
“It’s beautiful to see a new Black-owned business in downtown San Jose,” Gooch said. “I just love what they’ve been pushing, and that they’re giving opportunities to local artists and really showing love for the community.”
Ashaolu reflected that appreciation straight back onto the new customers.
“We’re so grateful,” she said. “I mean, we’re just so, so grateful.”
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