Twee Coffee has become a staple in the Riverside community since its opening in July 2020. It has caught the attention of the local college student scene, becoming a study hub and a place to get coffee with friends.
Owner Noel Jimenez said he connected with the idea of creating a coffee shop for anyone to enjoy with a comfortable environment. It began with the vision of Jimenez and his wife, which shortly turned into an ongoing project. Twee’s construction actually began the same day their daughter was born.
“Ever since we met we would always go to coffee shops together and my wife worked at local cafes, so we always loved coffee,” Jimenez said.
This project was five years in the making. The idea started when Jimenez and his wife both had a dream of owning a small business.
“Our other concept of a small business was an ice cream parlor, but it turned into a coffee shop instead,” Jimenez said. “We couldn’t figure out ideas for our ice cream shop, but we loved coffee and we loved the industry so we had to dive in deeper.”
It started with brewing Wild Goose coffee from Redlands, which was who they partnered with for their first year of opening. Now they brew Cat and Cloud, which Jimenez described as “big” for them; they always looked up to this company and had dreamed of partnering with them for a long time.
“Their roasting style allows us to brew how we like: a well-rounded espresso with some sweetness and chocolate,” Jimenez said.
Their mission, along with creating unique coffee, is finding flavors their customers enjoy. They experiment with different flavors of syrup to add to the coffee they craft for each order. They also taste everything daily, which has allowed them to create the unique drinks that Twee has to offer.
“We stay true to what we like and what we think our prospective customers will like as far as flavor in their expresso,” Jimenez said. “We obsess over those things that we are making at that moment and try to make it the best possible.”
Rylie Horn, senior kinesiology major, said she likes Twee because of the vibe she feels when entering the shop and she likes that they also sell locally thrifted clothes in the corner.
“I like Twee because I think it’s a really good local coffee shop with a cool vibe,” Horn said. “I like how they have pastries and thrifted clothes for sale.”
Carina Womack, junior health science and psychology double major, said she loves how nice the staff always is and the atmosphere.
“I love how the staff is always so sweet,” Womack said. “I also love the environment’s aesthetic. I’ve also enjoyed going to their market pop-ups and the events they host.”
The best part about owning a coffee shop, said Jimenez, is having the chance to create these coffee recipes every day for their customers.
“The excitement of smelling it and seeing it is just a great feeling for us,” Jimenez said. “Also, the joy we see from our customers when trying a drink is what makes our job worth it in the end. We always want to make sure that we can take the time to over-deliver for our customers. ”
