Tim Sanchez, a decorated Navy veteran, formed his love for coffee during his time as a tech startup co-founder in 1999. “I told my wife that when I grow up I wanted to open a high-end cafe featuring really great coffee,” remembers Tim. After his most recent deployment in Afghanistan, Tim decided it was time to shake things up and pursue his passion. He is an Oakland native (he grew up in East Oakland), so they knew that Oakland was where they wanted to open their business when the opportunity arose in 2016. Tertulia Coffee is the combination of both Tim’s passion for coffee and his wife Maria’s passion for art: a coffee bar and art gallery.
Tim and Maria came to Veteran Launch for working capital and to finish up their construction at 1951 Telegraph in Uptown. Tim advises, “Even if you don’t think you need a loan, if you can get one, you should. It’s difficult for startups to get access to capital, but that money is your protection. Without it the unexpected costs and delays can put you out of business. Even if the money just sits in the bank, it’s your security in the early years.”
Click here to read Tertulia Coffee’s full profile.
