We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Vavra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always been a DIY kind of gal, so when I couldn’t find the consistently strong and delicious cup of coffee that I was craving, I wanted to create it myself and share it with others. Looking back, the thought process behind starting my own business was somewhat simple. I wanted to serve up fantastic coffee and I knew that a storefront would also give me the opportunity to support other artisans and causes that I was excited about. These are still the same thoughts and values that continue to steer the ship today…and fuel my love for the business after more than a decade.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I believe what sets our shop apart from others is the friendly environment we’ve created and our ability to evolve. We truly value connection and our business has always been centered around the community. Our customers are our friends, we know them by name and they know us. We are always looking for ways to improve, from becoming more eco-friendly to sourcing organic local products to looking for ways to support each other. These ideals have really been put to the test over the last several months due to the pandemic. Talk about a challenge! Instead of our shop bustling with customers, they wait patiently outdoors. It’s because of our friends and customers that we’ve been able to continue doing business during this time, along with some major overhauls to the ordering process (once again, shoutout to my team!). But M Street has always been adaptable and we’ll continue to find ways to improve and make it happen!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
On the top of the itinerary would be a trip to The Autry Museum, my fave museum in all the land. We would hopefully catch an event there like Odd Nights at The Autry, complete with food trucks, live music and fun activities for the kids. Another day would include exploring Descanso Gardens, then ending up at Casa Vega for some dinner and drinks. A drive up the coast to Santa Barbara for some beach time and Funk Zone would be in order, and possibly a jaunt over to Ojai for some strawberry shortcake at Boccali’s. I would top the week off with a concert at the Greek Theatre, the best outdoor amphitheater in my humble opinion…but also a well-known fact 😉

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are hundreds of shoutouts I could give, from the support of the community to the encouragement of my friends and family, but I want to dedicate this shoutout to my employees! The ones on the front lines who come in each day and give it their all. The real face of the business. The ones who do the heavy lifting, the ones who put a smile on your face, the ones who rise to the occasion. The employees who, in spite of a pandemic, show up to serve customers and give them a slice of normalcy. I have endless love for my team. This shoutout is for each one of you.

Website: www.mstreetcoffee.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mstreetcoffee
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mstreetcoffee

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