Local coffee shop Mikey G’s recently made the campus of California Baptist University its second home. The business, with a hat and T-shirt-wearing squirrel mascot, posted to its Instagram story early in September that ‘MatchaPalooza’ would take place on Tuesdays in Lancer Plaza.
Advertisements on the @bigmikeygs Instagram account promoted trading cards, matcha and coffee for students between 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ‘MatchaPalooza,’ according to one of the owners, Jake Driscoll, is meant to resemble a music festival, with the booth featuring shirts advertising the menu, casual tunes and three flavors of matcha.
The pop-up, which began on Tuesday, Sept. 2, has planned weekly events through the end of the year with additional themed activities, including Mario Kart on Oct. 7 and Christmas carols on Dec. 9. Students who have attended the pop-up, such as Daphne Vang, graduate architecture student, described it as “…a convenient place to grab a quick, delicious drink with creative menu ideas.”
The business of Mikey G’s started with the intention of opening a coffee shop and a brand “people could get behind,” Driscoll said in an Instagram highlight series. The owners, Steven Burgos, Geoff Gouveia and Driscoll, worked in marketing for a coffee business before pursuing the brand.
The three, passionate about coffee and people, began by serving soft serve at past events to establish the brand. They later spread Mikey G’s name throughout Riverside before changing the menu from ice cream to coffee. The men, wanting to spend more time with their families, said they were dissatisfied with the nighttime business, which kept them out late. To address the issue, Mikey G’s was reestablished as a morning coffee business, which “…felt more like us,” Driscoll said in Instagram stories.
Mikey G’s currently operates out of Harvest Church, described by the owners as a “temporary space.” Without ownership of a brick-and-mortar storefront, the focus remains on finding a permanent home for the coffee shop to grow.
Mikey G’s previously operated out of a warehouse that was initially intended as a headquarters and studio space before being converted into a coffee shop. The space, entirely designed by hand and on a tight budget, became a welcoming place for people to engage in conversation, study or grab something off the weekly updated menu.
Frequent visitor and Mikey G’s fan, Siena Estenoz, junior elementary education major, shared her thoughts on the coffee shop.
“I absolutely love it, a perfect morning treat, the lightning milk is unique and the bagels are the best I’ve had. They are extremely smart to have new drink options often. I may not be a matcha fan, but having matcha girl summer has really taken off,” Estenoz said. “I think it’s great for them to integrate with CBU, both parties benefit, students get delicious coffee and matcha and they get the rep they need. Every person I’ve met when sitting down at the big tables where you can draw is extremely kind, and everyone loves to chat.”
The family-friendly brand continues to expand with another coffee shop in the works and its latest partnership with California Baptist University. The three owners, two of whom are CBU alumni, along with the Mikey G character inspired by a supportive father, continue to provide quality merchandise, food, drinks and fun for the public.
The business continues to grow with the owners reflecting on social media, “…we never had aspirations to make the world’s best cup of coffee…we just wanted to make good coffee that a customer would enjoy…”
