Beneath a layer of dust and construction in a storefront off of Southwest First Street is the future of Brewing Thoughts, a local coffee shop set to open its first brick-and-mortar location early this fall.
Titan Wojciak, a 20-year-old UF electrical engineering junior, and Sofia Ortiz, a 19-year-old UF advertising sophomore, had always dreamed of owning a coffee shop.
Last July, the couple began building their brand and transformed Wojciak’s truck into the mobile shop, which launched in October.
“One summer day, I was like, ‘We aren't doing much, we should just do it,’” Wojciak said. “‘What's stopping us?’”
Since then, they’ve served drinks out of his refurbished Kei truck across town, using house-made syrups and offering specialty drinks.
Ortiz said being young business owners has allowed her and Wojciak to connect with their customers — and with the passion that brought them to start a business in the first place.
Part of that connection comes from the business’s TikTok and Instagram pages, which helps the two build connections with their audience.
“We’re pushing to post every day so that we can feel like we include our customers as well, because when they feel included, it's that much better,” Ortiz said.
Running the business doesn’t come without difficulties, though. As full-time students, both Ortiz and Wojciak have had to make sacrifices to keep things running smoothly.
Before starting renovations on the new cafe, Wojciak was offered a summer engineering internship, one he called a “golden ticket opportunity.” He turned it down to get Brewing Thoughts open by fall.
“I'm doing something that I will be proud of and I love doing and something that is so much nicer,” Wojciak said. “When I look back in 10 years, I’ll be like, ‘Yeah, I did do that, and that's pretty cool.’”
Melanie Rodriguez-Martinez, the 26-year-old owner of Mel’s Kitchen, met the two at a How Bazar event last year, and she’s supported their progress ever since.
“The minute that I met them, I felt an instant connection,” Rodriguez-Martinez said. “I felt the genuineness, the authenticity of what they were doing and the good spirit of the business they wanted to create.”
Rodriguez-Martinez might join Brewing Thoughts at its new location to manage its kitchen.
The cafe plans to expand its offerings beyond coffee and breakfast. It’s set to close after morning hours and reopen later in the day, similar to a speakeasy that serves mocktails and tapas, Wojciak said.
Brewing Thoughts’ new opening is dependent on The Streatery, Ortiz said, since the building is currently facing the construction site and difficult to enter. Construction on The Streatery is expected to finish in the fall, and the city has assured residents downtown businesses are open and accessible in the meantime.
Even with the chaos of construction outside their door, the couple sees The Streatery project as a plus for Brewing Thoughts. They think it's the perfect opportunity to bring more traffic to their cafe and other downtown businesses, Ortiz said.
“We believe that The Streatery is gonna make Gainesville entirely different,” she said, “and it's gonna switch up downtown.”
Amid the work of obtaining permits, painting their storefront and tearing down old walls, the pair is looking forward to opening the cafe and getting to know new and returning customers as soon as possible.
Contact Brandy Sumner at bsumner@alligator.org.
Brandy Sumner is an anthropology and English junior and this summer's music and performance reporter. This is their first semester working at the Alligator. In their free time they enjoy playing guitar, reading and writing.
