Nirvana Soul Coffee just opened up in Downtown San Jose and is owned by two of Gunderson’s very own alumnae, . Jeronica Macey and Be’Anka Ashaolu, the owners, see the value in a great community and good drinks.
“[My sister and I] have wanted to do this together for the last two years,” Ashaolu said. “And when we finally were in the same place at the right time, we decided to go for it,” Macey and Ashaolu run this shop together and strive to build a community similar to the one they experienced at Gunderson.
“I love everything about Gunderson,” Ashaolu said. “…it was like the most diverse school we had a fun basketball program with a fun football program, I was a student body president sophomore and junior year I was ASB president senior year.” Ashaolu went onto talk about how much of an impact attending school at Gunderson had on how she wants customers of Nirvana Soul to feel.
The sisters use lively art and friendly baristas to give customers a sense of togetherness. “It’s a full self-care kind of experience to be with other people, and so building community is super important for us,” said Ashaolu. Especially with the shelter in place orders and social distancing policies, a connection is more important than ever.
Building a community and a welcoming atmosphere are great, but what the shop is actually selling are coffee and tea. “I’ve been drinking a Happy Soul, which is a hot tea latte,” Ashaolu said when asked about her favorite drink. For high school students, she recommends the cold brew, drip coffee, and really any of the drinks and food.
“Our whole mission is to bring people together to view the power of coffee and tea. And so we want to reach as many people as we can; we want to bring that togetherness in that community to as many places as possible here in San Jose and beyond.”
You can support Jeronica Macey and Be’ Anka Ashaolu at Nirvana Soul, 315 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113. You can also visit their website at https://www.nirvanasoulcoffee.com
