It was a sweltering day, but it didn’t matter to the crowd. They braved it to watch Marta Alonzo cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of her dream, Sip & Sit with Me. This is the first coffee shop on the intersection of Roosevelt and Mission Road, across from the famous Mission San José, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and city favorite.
“This has been seven years in the making!” said Marta to the crowd.
She held back tears as she gave her speech.
“The journey was hard because a lot of people don’t believe in startups. They give you a hard time. You don’t have any history of sales or anything stable,” said Marta with growing confidence. “ ‘But ‘so, what!’ I said to myself. I’m getting tired of working for someone else. I’m an old gal, 61 years old, and not ashamed to say it!”
Both she and the crowd chuckled, appreciating the honesty.
It had been a long journey by her count. Marta’s coffee dreams had been brewing for seven years. She trained at the Texas Coffee School and enrolled in several local business incubators, such as the South Texas Business Partnership. Then Covid hit, and just one year later, her mother passed away.
“Many times, I wanted to say, ‘Forget this!’ But you can’t quit, you must move forward and now, six months later I’m here,” Marta confided openly.
The cheers were hard to ignore and mixed with the whizzing traffic along Mission Road. One of those cheering was Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, whose district covers the Southside.
“I want to thank CPS Energy for helping businesses get plugged in,” said Phyllis Viagran, District 3 Councilwoman. “The idea that people can come to this coffee shop after going to Mass or paying a visit to Mission San José, gives me hope that businesses like Marta’s will help growth in the Southside,” added Councilwoman Viagran.
Marta called CPS Energy to energize her business. On the other side of the phone was Julia Dellanira Martinez, the interim manager of CPS Energy’s Energy 2 Business (E2B) team.
“We are allies for small business owners. We work with them to remain in business and serve their customers,” said Martinez. “E2B bundles support, provides access to rebates, sets up manageable payment plans, and connects our clients to non-profit programs and grants.”
In addition, through its Sustainable Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP), CPS Energy offers a portfolio of energy efficiency and conservation programs aimed at helping customers save energy and money. Since the launch of this program in August 2022, the utility has supported over 800 small businesses to identify and implement energy-saving measures and has provided over $2 million in rebates. The savings through these upgrades for small businesses is over 6.3 megawatts of demand savings, equivalent to powering approximately 1,550 homes for one year.
The E2B group alone has supported about 3,000 small business owners. As part of this initiative, CPS Energy has created partnerships with over 15 organizations and provided access to energy-saving rebates, including free HVAC tune-ups – crucial during record-breaking summers.
“CPS Energy was essential in finalizing the electrical needs of our business,” said Marta. “Julia at CPS kept us informed, assisted with resources, and communicated well with us on time. Even the meter designers and planners were very helpful while our building was still in renovation mode. I love that CPS Energy is involved with small businesses and the community by offering education, resources, and any assistance they can provide.”
CPS Energy seeks to grow the number of small business owners through its demand response (DR) program with the WiFi Thermostat Rewards program. With Demand Response, enrolled participants commit to reducing their energy use during high-energy demand days in summer or winter. In return, customers receive an upfront enrollment rebate, an annual credit each year they participate, and direct bill savings from reduced use during these conservation events.
As the ceremony ended, Marta opened the cafe’s door to serve her new customers.
“My dream for Sip & Sit with Me is to engage each other in conversation and community while creating a safe space with great coffee. For sure!” said Marta.
To contact CPS Energy’s E2B team and participate in the upcoming free Lunch & Learn Small Business Summer Series workshop, email [email protected]. Participants will also learn about other environmental and utility programs offered by ReWorksSA and SAWS services.
Know more by visiting www.cpsenergy.com/e2b.
