If you’ve ever searched for or shared photos of Mostra Coffee’s drinks and decor online, you’re not alone.
Mostra and San Diego’s Communal Coffee have seen a combined total of more than 500,000 views on TikTok, according to a review of internet trends by online gambling company Betway, which decided to measure the worldwide popularity of coffee shops on the internet and share the results on its marketing blog recent, undisclosed period.
They also performed well in two other online metrics: Instagram hashtags (which allow users to categorize and search for photos and videos) and the number of Google searches per year.
Communal Coffee was ranked No. 3 in the U.S. and Mostra was No. 7. The U.S. winners were selected from 345 cafes around the world. The world leaders were Onibus Coffee from Tokyo, Panaderia Rosetta from Mexico City and Modern Delhi LOVES coffee.
Here’s what Mostry co-founder Jelynn Malone says is most vital when building a company we hope people will seek out and rave about.
Collaborate to expand your reach
“Collaborations are everything to us,” Malone said. Mostra works with other companies to make its coffee recognizable far beyond San Diego. Even beyond coffee. “I would say we’re the largest coffee collaborator in the country in the craft beer industry. So if you just want to check our hashtag, you’ll see a ton of beers,” she said.
Thinking of itself as more than just a coffee company—as a supplier to beer makers—helped Mostra leap from a coffee shop and roastery to something broader. “It just opened up a whole other world,” Malone said.
Coffee and a show
Design with intention, Malone said. She hopes people notice something when they walk in: the lack of an espresso machine. Instead of a wall of steel and steam, Malone said her husband, who designed the cafe, wanted customers to see something else: people. That’s why Mostra uses MAVAM undercounter coffee machines.
She called it the café version of a fine dining restaurant with an open kitchen: “Everyone is completely exposed and you can watch the drinks being made from start to finish.”
She added that some drinks are a production in themselves. The barista actually caramelizes the sugar topping of the Crème Brûlée Lattes with a blowtorch. (Mostra means “show” or “presentation” in Italian. It’s all connected: Malone was a performer, and the other members of the company worked at the opera and a fancy restaurant before making coffee.)
Be very selective when hiring
Optimize for what’s right, Malone said. The most vital qualification for employment in Mostra is not drinking a good espresso. It’s being nice. In fact, they do not require applicants to be professional baristas. The art of the latte can be learned.
Given this, and depending on how concerned or hopeful you are about the human condition today, you may or may not be surprised that it is hard to find a job there. Candidates go through a “stringent process consisting of three interviews. And it’s not straightforward. We hire to find the best people on the market.” Benefits: A caring staff means customers enjoy coming to us, Malone said. This also builds quality. Mostra won Roaster of the Year 2020, a prestigious industry award.
Mission drives everything
Years ago, Malone knew nothing about coffee. “We didn’t even know coffee came from a tree. I mean, we literally knew nothing,” she said, also talking about Mostra’s other co-founder.
They founded Mostra not because they love coffee, but to empower the people of the Philippines economically. Malone is of Filipino descent, and the poverty she saw there broke her heart. She wondered how to aid. Then she learned that the Philippines “was once the fourth largest coffee producer in the world.”
“Oh my God, that’s it,” she realized.
Mostra’s 29,600 Instagram followers and many TikTok viewers may or may not care about ethics. Maybe they just like lattes. Either way, Mostra gives them a reason to publish.
