“At the end of every cup of coffee is a great story.”
That’s owner Elisa Margoni-Bertone’s mantra for her and husband John’s coffee business, Carmen’s Coffee Truck.
The business name honors Elisa’s mother Carmen who was a professional Flamenco dancer. Growing up, young Elisa and her siblings were immersed in the wondrous and mysterious gypsy culture associated with traveling, dancing, and performing. On school nights, Elisa wasn’t often home. Instead, she was sitting in coffee shops, enjoying life and learning about the business all at the same time.
The “food truck” concept indeed pays tribute both to the traveling gypsy roots of the family in the province of Andalusia, Spain and the style of coffee available at Carmen’s Coffee.
Elisa, John and their employees want to provide the growing contingent of “third wave” coffee customers with high quality, ethically traded, and single origin beans and new age drinks.
But they also want to cater to the “first wave” coffee drinkers of Carmen’s generation.
“Some of the older generation just want a good quick coffee with maybe some classical flavors included. I think that we’re creating a hybrid of first wave coffee drinkers from 20-plus years ago and the new third wave customers who are much more coffee-centric,“ says Elisa.
Whether you order a Nutty Brunette Mocha Peanut Butter Polar or a Nitro Cold Brew in the classic New York style, every drink comes with a Pequeña.
Carmen’s Coffee Truck is becoming just as famous for their pastries and sandwiches as their coffee. On offer are muffins, crumb cakes, scones, and other pastries for breakfast as well as paninis for lunch. The “wafflelini,” their latest kitchen creation, is exactly what it sounds like: a delicious combo of Spanish ham and real egg, with Manchego and Spanish cheeses melted onto fresh waffle batter (or KETO batter made of egg and almond flour for extra protein) for a delectable brunch option.
Everything that Carmen’s Coffee serves, whether for drinks or food, is prepared from scratch right on the truck. Their menu perfectly blends the sensibilities of an American coffee-and-food truck with gourmet Spanish infusions.
The inside of the truck is truly amazing. Acquisition of the vehicle and build-out of its kitchen capabilities took almost five years.
Carmen’s Coffee Truck can be rented out for large scale outdoor events, but its normal home is in Naples out in front of Naples Island Car Wash next to Naples Rib Company. The food truck faces the sidewalk and is very pedestrian (and dog-) friendly (ask for a treat!). It is also meant to serve the many traversers of Second Street as they commute each morning. Naples Rib Company graciously provides parking each morning in front of their restaurant and in the parking lot next to Naples Rib Company. Please check current brewing hours by visiting www.carmenscoffee.com.
John and Elisa take great pride in their relationship with Naples and are proud to be the first coffee business in the neighborhood. They hope to one day make an even more permanent home in Naples if the right opportunity and partners come along.
But for now they’re embracing “coffee truck” life and their Gypsy soul!
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