aBOUT US
MEET ERICa
CAFE OPERATOR Founder + Senior Consultant
Erica started working as a barista at 17 and opened her first cafe at 21. After nearly a decade building her multi-location cafe and bakery, she went on to serve as Head of Retail and Director of Operations for growing coffee companies. Today, she leads The Cafe Operator, bringing financial, operational, and people-focused support to independent coffee businesses across the country.
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18+ YEARS IN COFFEE
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WORKED WITH 32+ COMPANIES NATIONALLY
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INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER
ERICA HAS BEEN THERE.
LIVED THAT.
BABY BARISTA
Erica started working at Starbucks as a teenager and quickly fell in love with coffee and coffee shop culture. Behind the bar, she discovered her natural strengths in hospitality, multitasking, speed, and efficiency.
2008
THE ARROW COFFEEHOUSE
Opened the doors to The Arrow Coffeehouse in Damascus, OR. A young mom of 2, financially struggling, and completely over her head - living the hardest days of her life wishing there was somewhere she could go to get her questions answered.
2012
EXPANSION
Expanded the business into a second location in the heart of Portland with a full food program, a full bakery operation, and a shared commissary kitchen supporting dozens of local food businesses. She also built a wholesale bakery program serving more than a dozen accounts across the Portland area.
2016
PANDEMIC
With a natural inclination to survival, Erica found ways to keep the business afloat, being ahead of the curve with innovation of service. She was invited to give her first international talk about keeping a cafe business open during the pandemic.
2020
TRANSITION
After a wonderful run, Erica greatly desired to move back home to Los Angeles to raise her kids. She transitioned from business ownership to being Head of Retail at a popular LA coffee company, then to Director of Operations of another.
2022
CONSULTING
Realizing her apt for business and the common difficulties across the board, she branched off to be a consultant, focusing on virtual education and fractional leadership for companies across the country.
2024
CAFE OPERATOR
Understanding the need for support for so many companies, Erica worked to expand her team and consulting operations to be able to support more coffee shop businesses through more kinds of educational programming, expanding her team, and hosting events.
2026
OUR TEAM
Erica Escalante
Erica Escalante
FOUNDER + SENIOR CONSULTANT
Erica started working as a barista at 17 and opened her first cafe at 21. After nearly a decade building her multi-location cafe and bakery, she went on to serve as Head of Retail and Director of Operations for growing coffee companies. Today, she leads The Cafe Operator, bringing financial, operational, and people-focused support to independent coffee businesses across the country.
@escalante_erica
Eric Grimm
Eric Grimm
ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT
With 18 years in coffee, his experience spans barista work, management, sales, and notable companies across the industry. He is a certified HR consultant and an events specialist who has executed more than 2,000 cafe pop-ups.
@ericjgrimm
Tricia Lu
Tricia Lu
BUSINESS MANAGER & PROJECT SUPPORT
With 15 years in the industry, her experience includes a decade as a barista and trainer followed by five years in sales. She supports company operations and client projects. She is also the co-owner of Standstill Tea, a wholesale tea company.
@triciaa_lu
Our core Values
OUR WORD MEANS
SOMETHING.
We operate with unquestionable professionalism, honesty, and integrity. We meet deadlines, communicate clearly, charge transparently, and do what we say we will do.
OUR CLIENTS
MAKE MONEY
We do not create work just to stay busy. Every project should serve a real business purpose, and we aim to return significantly more value than our clients invest in us.
PEOPLE COME
BEFORE SYSTEMS.
We care about human beings above everything else. We question outdated practices, develop empathetic leaders, and build workplaces where people can do great work and have better jobs.
OUR WORK MATTERS
BEYOND THE CAFE.
We strengthen the small business economy, support the people who create jobs, and help cafes become better employers and stronger parts of their communities. We honor every person whose work brought coffee to the final point of service.
WE SHOULD ALL BE HAPPY.
OTHERWISE, WHAT’S THE POINT?
Your business should make money, but it should also make your life better. Owners should feel supported, teams should enjoy where they work, and customers should feel joy when they walk through the door. That’s what we’re all here for, right?
