Mobile coffee trailer owner Racquel Rodriguez is bringing the Cuban coffee tradition to Kansas City with every sweet, rich cup of cafecito she serves at El Cafe Cubano.
“Cuba is a very artistic country,” says Rodriguez. The people of Cuba take pride in all their artistic endeavors, and coffee is one of them, she says.
Rodriguez noticed a dearth of Cuban culinary tradition in Kansas City and decided she wanted to change that with her coffee trailer, El Café Cubano. “There’s a lot of Cubans that live, work and reside in Kansas City, and there’s very little [Cuban] coffee here,” she says. “I decided to hit the market pretty hard with our product, and it’s done really well.”
Cafecito, a staple of Cuban coffee, involves adding sugar during the brewing process. First, sugar is put in the cup. Then, as the espresso is extracted, a little bit more sugar is poured in and whisked until it has a golden creamy texture. Once finished, it’s topped with a little bit more sugar. The result is a rich, luscious espresso drink that stands out from your usual coffee shop menu.
Pair your cafecito with one of Rodriguez’s sweet or savory pastries, such as alfajores, empanadas or croquetas, and you’re having a true Cuban coffee experience. Rodriguez is also selling ground and whole coffee beans.
Check out El Café Cubano’s website (elcafecubanokc.com) for its schedule of pops-up. The coffee trailer can also be hired for private events.
