Palo Alto Daily News

June 06, 2000

By Emily Richmond
Staff Writer

East Palo Alto's first drive-through coffee kiosk will open later this summer, the proprietor said yesterday.

"It's finally all coming together," said Laverne Bryant, who has spent nearly two years securing the financing for her business.

City on the way up
The kiosk, called Latte Dah, will open in about three months at the corner of Bay Road and University Avenue, a location once ruled by drug dealers. Bryant, who moved to East Palo Alto from Menlo Park in 1992, said she never really considered opening her business anywhere else.

"The city's going through a real turnaround," Bryant said. "I'm glad to be a part of that."

Bryant said she plans to offer espresso, doughnuts, salads and sandwiches at the drive-through window and tables for people who arrive on foot.

Bryant first came up with the idea for the kiosk about five years ago when she enrolled in Start Up, a 13-week entrepreneurial program offered by the Stanford Graduate School of Business. A lover of gourmet coffee, Bryant said she was tired of having to leave her hometown to get her favorite mocha lattes.

At Start Up Bryant learned the basics of finance and marketing along with how to write a business plan. By August 1998 she had approval from the East Palo Alto City Council for her business. But it would take nearly two more years for Bryant to secure the funding for her proposal and navigate the red tape of the building permit process.

Wasn't easy
"I had no idea it would be this difficult," Bryant said. "Just when I thought I had everything I needed, I'd find out there was one more permit or one more signature I had to get. It was kind of a vicious cycle."

Help came from a variety of places, including Silicon Valley Community Ventures, a nonprofit organization that helps small businesses, and Lenders for Community Development, a coalition of Bay Area banks.

Bryant said she hopes to attract commuters who use East Palo Alto as a gateway to Highway 101 or the Dumbarton Bridge, along with residents looking for an alternative to McDonald's or Taco Bell.