News

Special Thanks to Zan Situ, who is the designer of our cafe.
Resource:
http://www.harborbayclub.com/buzz/buzz_spring_2010.pdf
-By Debra Costner

New West End Café a Dream Come True

Proud new proprietors of Wescafe, Monica and Miguel Trejo, shown here with their 13-year old daughter Vanelly, have found a home and warm embrace in the revitalized West End of Alameda.

“The West End has always appealed to me. It’s a very eclectic neighborhood and always changing.” — Monica Trejo

After more than 15 years of working sideby- side, Monica and Miguel Trejo have finally gained their independence. On July 4, this dynamic couple opened their café, Wescafe, in Alameda’s West End.

While still in high school in the 1990s, Monica began working at Oakland’s Ultimate Grounds, the coffee shop where she met Miguel. “We’ve actually been working together since I was 16 years old,” she explained. “We started out as employees together and eventually we became management. In total, we were there for 15 years.”

They thought their big break had come when the owner of Ultimate Grounds decided to sell. “We wanted to purchase that place,” said Monica. Although various factors prevented the purchase from happening, they did not want to give up their dream. As Bay Area natives— Miguel is from Berkeley, and Monica grew up playing in Alameda with her cousins—they realized Alameda is a great place to raise a family, which is why they moved here with an eye towards opening a coffee shop.

“The West End has always appealed to me. It’s a very eclectic neighborhood and always changing,” Monica said. They found the perfect spot for Wescafe at 1536 Webster Street. “We thought people would love to have an independent, local and minority-owned coffee shop located here,” said Monica, who is Mexican and Native American.

The cost of doing the remodeling brought with it some sacrifices. “In order to open up this café, we had to rent out our house and move in with my mother-inlaw,” explained Monica. Rolling up their sleeves to get the job done did save them some money. “We did all the work ourselves, and renovated the place from top to bottom,” Monica said. “Everything is new, and there was no detail left untouched.”

From the tile floors to the metallic ceiling, they created a wonderful and inviting space. One of the best features is the beautiful patio. “We have a retractable awning that covers the whole place, plus we have heat lamps so it’s usable year-round,” said Monica.

Originally the Wescafe was supposed be a coffee shop with a modest amount of good food, but it turned out to be much more than just a café. “The people here, our customers, have really gravitated to the food, and not just the coffee,” said Monica. “So we’ve developed into more of a bistro feel than a café—although, of course, we still have great coffee!”

The menu has developed more over time, and is always changing. “We have an extensive menu and we do a lot of our baking in-house,” said Monica. “We’re also right next door to the farmers market, so most of our fruits and veggies we get there.”

They have a regular crowd that gathers every morning. “For breakfast, our most popular item is the breakfast burrito, which everybody seems to love,” says Monica. At lunch, the sandwiches rule, with creative touches like a turkey sandwich that includes cilantro, avocado and spinach. “We have Panini-style sandwiches, with a really wide menu selection, that are really popular,” says Monica. “We also sell spanikopita, quiches, and of course hot soups, plus we have a wide variety of salads. And all of our salad dressings are made fresh in-house too; we don’t use additives or anything like that.”

They quickly found themselves immersed in this new community. “I feel like they have really embraced us and our business, and so we try to give back as much as we can,” said Monica. “We’ve done donations with the Alameda Free Library, and sold tickets to their concert, and we donated to Alameda Reads Walk-a-Thon.” They’ve also done coThey quickly found themselves immersed in this new community. “I feel like they have really embraced us and our business, and so we try to give back as much as we can,” said Monica. “We’ve done donations with the Alameda Free Library, and sold tickets to their concert, and we donated to Alameda Reads Walk-a-Thon.” They’ve also done copromotions with the West Alameda Farmer’s Market.

In addition to fulltime jobs at Wescafe, Miguel and Monica are busy helping their daughter, Vanelly, pursue her dreams. “Our daughter dances with the San Francisco Ballet, and since Nutcracker season has begun, she’s in the City six days a week,” explained Monica. “This is her fourth year with them, so she’s semi-professional now.”

Monica explained Vanelly’s upcoming plans: “She’s hoping to do a summer program, to give ballet lessons to under-privileged kids here in Alameda. She asked us if we could clear out the back room at the coffee shop. She said, ‘If daddy puts in mirrors and bars, I could hold up to 16 kids per class.’”

At 13 years old, Vanelly is an eighth grader at Lincoln. The idea for a summer program was all hers, but it’s clear her parents are very supportive. “Sometimes I think to myself, ‘Okay! I think she’s learning from us,’” said Monica.

Vanelly also contributes to the family business too, working weekends at Wescafe. “She’s the official Saturday and Sunday dishwasher,” says Monica. The Trejos hope to move back into their home in early 2010, just as soon as they can afford it. “I love Alameda! There is such a sense of community and small-town feel,” exclaims Monica. Wescafe is a vital part of this neighborhood now, and the West End is fortunate it has found a home here.