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Iñiguez and his business partner, 30-year-old Mayra Hernandez, opened the
cafe last May, intending it to be part of the marketing strategy for the
Back of the Yards Coffee Co., their coffee-roasting business, which
launched in November 2016. The cafe serves as the public face of their
larger vision: a socially and environmentally responsible coffee company
that creates local jobs while promoting the arts and culture of the
neighborhood where they grew up.
They began selling the beans wholesale online and at pop-ups. That side of
the business has been booming. They recently hired two new salespeople to
manage accounts with coffee shops like Currency Exchange in Washington Park
and Sanctuary Cafe in Hyde Park. Lightning struck again when Iñiguez
found another helpful local connection, this time to someone with a small
space suitable for a cafe.
“Moving forward, we want to set up a process with the community about where
the money goes,” says Iñiguez.
Still, the majority of their customers are their friends, family, and
neighbors. Before the cafe opened, some people questioned whether
working-class Mexicans would drink good coffee. Hernandez now has a ready
answer: “They do. Lots of it.” v
2059 W. 47th 773-475-6381backoftheyardscoffee.com
