El Mitote Cafe
Coming Home to Ukiah with Coffee in Tow
by Holly Madrigal
El Mitote’s hot pink coffee cart is hard to miss. It pops like a ball of cotton candy jumping up to give you a kiss. El Mitote means “gossip”—not just any gossip, but the feisty chat that only comes over a good cup of coffee. Adrian Mata is the owner of this candy-colored café. He checks in with Cassie, who is working the cart, making sure that she has enough ice and all that she needs for the lunchtime rush. They are parked on Talmage Road in Ukiah near the Grow West Farm Supply.
Adrian’s idea for El Mitote came out of his college senior project for a business class. “We had to come up with a unique business idea. I went with a coffee cart,” says Adrian. “The course required me to figure out everything: the market, main clientele, where to find the trailer, start-up costs, and the taxes. I was working as a bartender at the time, and one day I wanted some coffee but we were out of cream, so I used horchata instead and it was SO good. Wait a minute this is so good. I had that coffee cart idea, and maybe this is the trick to make it special.” He and his girlfriend were living in Sacramento at the time. Adrian got to work completing the idea and coming up with the menu. He decided to draw from his heritage and give El Mitote a Latino flair. “I wanted it to be Mexican-forward,“ he says with a smile in his eyes.
Adrian had a number of other jobs before embracing his entrepreneurial spirit. He worked for the NBA for a time in different sales positions. He worked at Yelp for a bit, along with other jobs that gave him insight into this new business. He had graduated in 2014 from Ukiah High, and as the coffee trailer idea became reality, he and his girlfriend thought that Ukiah would be a good base to try it out. “I bought the trailer, and we fitted it out and brought it over last Thanksgiving to try it out, and it was a hit,” says Adrian. “So we decided to stay here for a bit. I was a popular athlete back in school and still have a ton of connections here.” They hit the ground running and haven’t looked back.
Right now, as a new business, their idea is to go everywhere. “We are mobile and can go any place we are invited,” he laughs, continuing, “So if you are doing an event in Point Arena, we’ll be there. We did the Willits Hometown Celebration and the Rodeo. We went to the Potter Valley Rodeo, and everyone has been thrilled.” They did a number of weddings this summer, and they were hosted by Mendocino Coast Health Centers to do “Coffee with Rod,” the CEO Rod Grainger, outside of their clinics, which was a big hit.
The drinks are as fun and interesting as Adrian, with a definite Latino style. He worked hard to design drinks that bring to mind the nostalgic Mexican candies of his youth, but in adult form with a generous shot of caffeine in a frappe. “The Mazapán is this childhood nostalgic snack, and The Ferrero was inspired by chocolate gold coins,” Adrian adds. Cassie chimes in, “The Ferrero Rocher frappe is very popular.”
The iced horchata cold brew has a cinnamon sweetness that adds depth and lightly spiced roundness to the drink. A strawberry, vanilla milk, and matcha drink is inspired by the red, white, and green of the Mexican flag. The flavored refreshers and infusions come in a rainbow of flavors like Mangonada Tajín and Chamoy. The refreshers can also be ordered con crema (with cream) to make them a rich treat. If you crave a warmer beverage, you can order the Abuelita Hot Chocolate or the Café de Olla con Piloncillo.
Adrian hopes to bring back memories of childhood treats, but anyone will find flavors that bring a smile to their face. The best way to find the current location of the El Mitote is to check Instagram @elmitotecafe. Once you know the neighborhood, the bright pink color of the cart will make them easy to find. The beverages will satisfy your sweet tooth with a caffeine kick—a killer combination that will keep you coming back for more.
El Mitote
elmitotecafe.com
Instagram @elmitotecafe (best place to find current location)
Little girl photo courtesy of El Mitote. All other photos by Holly Madrigal.
Holly Madrigal is a Mendocino County maven who loves to share the delights of our region. She’s fortunate to enjoy her meaningful work as the director of the Leadership Mendocino program and takes great joy in publishing this magazine.