Once they decided to launch their venture, the search was on for a location in 2012. "We researched and visited dozens of neighborhood shops trying to figure what our niche could be. The biggest challenge was to find something small. Low rent was essential, considering our limited budget of under $20K. By the end of 2012, we realized that opening in San Francisco was out of the question. Rising rents were a clear sign that we had missed that boat and decided to look for other options," noted Posadas.

"I still live in the city now, but Renzo moved into Oakland on his arrival in California and we naturally saw Oakland as an option. Renzo was the one that actually found the location while biking around the area. The size was right, but the storefront needed tons of work since it had not been well-maintained and huge changes needed to be made for use as a coffee shop."

Posadas recruited his girlfriend, Maggie Servais, to style the shop (and cultivate the unique plants that are for sale), and Coloso Coffee opened their doors last month "with the intention to focus on executing great coffee and paying great attention to our customers." They're currently serving Sightglass Coffee and offer batch-brewed drip coffee and espresso drinks.

Jose PosadasJose Posadas

Coloso Coffee: A Colossal Caffeinated Experience in a Tiny Uptown Oakland Space