CLIENT NAME: Laura Lopez
BUSINESS NAME: Kapej Gallery and Coffee
BUSINESS WEBSITE: mykapej.square.site
BUSINESS ADDRESS: San Antonio, Texas
Laura Lopez has always wanted to have her own art gallery and her husband Rudy has always dreamed of owning a bakery and coffee shop. So, they decided to create a blend of the two: Kapej Gallery and Coffee. Their unique business offerings are baked goods and drinks from countries such as Serbia and Guatemala along with unique art pieces from a variety of local artists.
After finding the Women’s Business Center online, Lopez took advantage of the many workshops they offer as well as one-on-one consultations. Lopez’s biggest fear was the lack of knowledge she and her husband had about starting a business in the United States.
“[We] overcame those fears by working with Carlos Acosta who walked us through the start-up process. By far, my favorite part [of the WBC] is the one-on-one counseling with Carlos, who always makes us feel at ease with any challenges we may face by providing a safe, confidential space for us to share our fears, embossments, and successes.” – Laura Lopez
On a typical day, Laura can be found running errands, painting, and making sure that their patrons feel at home, while her husband is busy creating new menu items for their customers to soon enjoy. Although COVID-19 restrictions limited the number of people Kapej Gallery and Coffee could serve, they were able to survive the loss of revenue with the help of an SBA PPP loan and pivoted by providing curbside services as well.
“Our inspiration to continue is simply looking at all that we have accomplished and how much further we can go with the support of Advisors like Carlos and organizations like the Women’s Business Center.” – Laura Lopez
