Early in 2021 we were asked to photograph a story for US Bank about the perseverance of a woman building a small business with a great mission. For us, coming out of a year of Covid doom-scrolling, this was especially exciting.

Maryln Gonzalez moved from Mexico to San Diego 16 years ago and landed in the culturally diverse neighborhood of City Heights. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she began looking for a way to bridge the language and culture gaps she noticed in her new community. Her plan was to encourage residents from all walks of life to come together over a cup of coffee.

Gem Coffee began as a street cart. Providing high quality coffee at affordable prices, Marlyn soon couldn’t keep up with demand…so she took the leap and opened a shop between Talmadge and City Heights. She chose a location that could serve as a community meeting point for both the low and high income areas on either side.

A week before her grand opening in early March, Covid regulations shut everything down. Rather than fire all her new employees, she got a grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), adapted to the regulations, and opened her doors.

Gem Coffee survived the pandemic and continues to grow. They are a place where you can grab a great cup of coffee or tea, eat delicious food and support a local business. Gem is known as a place where everyone is welcome - no matter their background, income level or language. Buck the Cubicle was proud to work with Marlyn and we highly recommend you stop in, say hi and give Gem Coffee a try. Buying local has never been more important or more pleasant and the mission behind Gem is an honorable one.