Worker Bee: Meet Justin Orozco, the characterful co-founder of California Coffee

Meet Justin Orozco, the friendly and fashionable co-founder of California Coffee and West Beverley in Altrincham. Justin oozes individuality and independence, and he’s a man you can’t help but like instantly.

At 41 (he’ll laugh at that), Justin is a charmer with a unique story and a knack for turning his journey into a thriving hospitality business.

Originally from Los Angeles, Justin’s roots span continents, with Mexican parents and a Spanish great-grandfather.

His life took a delightful turn at 27 when he met his wife, Diana, at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. He was there to play basketball; she was on holiday with friends. Sparks flew. A month and a half later, he flew to Seoul, South Korea, where Diana was living, and proposed.

Back to Vegas they went – and the rest is history.

Today, Justin is known for his warm, hands-on hospitality and his two buzzing café-bars in Altrincham: California Coffee, a finalist at the 2023 I Love Manchester Awards, known for its relaxed, community vibe and “killer coffee”, and West Beverly, a lively bar opposite Altrincham Market with a Californian feel, where you can come for the coffee but stay for the wine (as their slogan says).

In both spots, Justin and Diana have created spaces where guests are treated like family.

Walk in, and you’ll find Justin hugging someone here, high-fiving a kid there, or resting a reassuring hand on a guest’s shoulder. Even his swear words sound f’ing friendly. And man, can he talk.

What got you started in your field of work?

Diana got a teaching opportunity in Manchester, and we moved up here in July 2015. I was lucky enough to get hired at Reiss, the clothing company. I started as a supervisor, then became an assistant manager. After that, I moved to Aldo, then became a manager at Kurt Geiger. I had some great mentors and amazing opportunities.

So, the idea came from wanting to create a place that felt like home. A spot where people could come in, feel welcome, and relax. I’ve always loved cafes and bars – the energy, the community. I wanted to bring a bit of that West Coast vibe to Altrincham, but also make it unique and local. 

I wanted to teach myself everything there was to know about coffee – how to roast it, what makes it special. Was it the water? The bean? The origin? The processing? Whether it’s natural, organic, or biodynamic? I had so many questions and no one to ask, so it was all Google, books, and whatever I could get my hands on.

This was around 2012 or 2013 when I first moved to the UK, to Brighton, and back then, no one in the UK was really talking about biodynamic coffee or organic wine. I was fascinated by it all. I wanted to take that curiosity and turn it into something people could experience – that’s really what got me going.

Who have been the biggest influences on your work?

Honestly, it’s the people. I want everyone who comes in to feel like they’re part of something. That’s why I make a point to greet every single person at the door. Whether they’re new or they’ve been coming in for years, I treat everyone the same. I want them to feel like this is their place, too. My family’s always been warm and affectionate – lots of hugs, lots of love. So, that’s what I bring to the cafes. If I see someone I haven’t seen in a while, I’m hugging them with both arms. If there’s a kid around, I’m probably picking them up and twirling them in the air. It’s just how I show people I care.

If I had to narrow it down, Rob and Michelle Davenport. They’ve been incredible mentors for us, always sharing their experience and insights.

It was about four and a half years ago, right around the third day we opened. Rob walked in wearing a Smiths shirt and Chucks – he looked really cool, and definitely different from the usual crowd. He came in with a laptop, doing some business meetings, and I just thought, “Who’s this guy?” I didn’t know if he was a journalist or what, because he didn’t look like a typical businessperson.

Later on, I found out he’d started Charleston’s and other companies over 20 years ago – amazing stuff.

But honestly, I don’t usually ask people what they do. I feel like it’s intrusive or can come off as judgmental. To me, what you do for work doesn’t define who you are as a person.

What is your proudest achievement so far?

I’d say opening our second venture, West Beverly. It’s a different concept, but it still carries that California feel – the coffee, the alkaline water, the wine, and the North American-style guest service. For us, it’s all about making people feel welcome and valued. We try our best every day, and even though we won’t always get it right, people know we’re genuinely trying to improve.

I’ll never forget the fourth or fifth day after we opened. Guests had to wait an hour – completely my fault. I gave them the wrong information, and the food came out late. I couldn’t have been more apologetic. But the fact that so many people showed up – over 200 when we were only expecting 40 or 50 – was overwhelming and humbling. It made us realise just how much support we had.

People knew us from California Coffee, and they wanted to support us again. Before COVID, California Coffee was just me and Diana – we did everything ourselves. When the pandemic hit, everything we’d worked so hard for was on the line. We had eight staff on furlough, and we didn’t know if we’d make it.

But Diana called the council, and we worked out how to reopen safely. When we finally opened for takeaway, there was a huge backlash – people said we were putting lives at risk. But I remember thinking, “Domino’s is open, and other food places are doing takeaway. We’re just trying to keep going, safely.”

From day one, it was packed. A 15–20 minute queue turned into an hour-long wait by Saturday. We had to shut early just to catch up. I was roasting coffee until 10 or 11 at night. Diana was baking, labelling, and doing everything to make the next day work. That night, for the first time in a while, I slept soundly. I thought, “The community wants this – we’re going to go with it.”

What does your typical day involve?

Honestly, our roles change every day. I’m the PR frontman – the guy who says, “Come on in!” I love making people feel special, like we’ve been friends for years. Diana, though, is the one who makes people so comfortable that they end up staying the whole afternoon. We’re like a one-two punch, and if I weren’t around, she could run the whole place with Rob and Michelle. She’s just that good.

I always thought no one could outwork me – growing up in LA, starting at 12 cleaning toilets in my uncle’s factory, then working in warehouses and paint stores at 4:30 in the morning. But I met my match in my wife. She works incredibly hard and always with a smile.

We both work hard, but our team has been unbelievable, too. Every one of them has given us their hearts, and I’m so grateful for that. And it’s the community – Altrincham, Hale, Bowdon, even the city centre – that’s really embraced us. Before COVID and before West Beverley, it was just me and Diana working 17- to 18-hour days for 18 months straight, with about seven or eight colleagues – we call them colleagues, not employees.

We don’t see people as customers; they’re guests in our home. We remember their names and drinks. Like, I know you like an Americano with cold milk; Rob likes a black Americano, then switches to a cortado and later a decaf cortado. Michelle loves a single-shot, extra-hot cappuccino with no chocolate. That’s how we do things. We want to offer the best coffee, the best wine, the best alkaline water – because we live this every day.

I’ve only ever asked someone to leave once, and that was because they’d had too much to drink. But even then, I called them the next day to check in – because there’s always a story behind those moments, and everyone  deserves to be treated like family.

And how do you relax on your days off?

I can’t lie in – I feel guilty. I roast my own coffee beans, and after that, I like to come into town, specifically Manchester city centre, for dinner or pre-drinks at Hawksmoor. I’m in love with Shaky Pete’s [Ginger Fizz]. Albert’s Schloss for their tank beer. I’m a beer guy. Schofields for a Vesper or Sterling, their other place. RIGATONI’S Altrincham for their house-made pasta. 

What is the best advice you have been given or can give?

I’ve heard this from a few motivational speakers, including Les Brown. He was born in a warehouse with his twin brother on concrete in Detroit, the Motor City. His message is simple: you have to find what you love to do and do that. Whether it’s a product, sales, or anything else – if you’re passionate about it, pursue it.

And do it from your heart. If it comes from your heart, it can’t be wrong.

I used to remind myself of that advice when I was commuting for hours on the bus from the X50 or 250 to Piccadilly Gardens, near Sasha’s Hotel, where we lived. When I was frustrated or tired, I’d listen to Les Brown and remember: “Remember your why. Remember why you’re doing it.” That’s been the best advice I’ve ever had.

If things hadn’t worked out, what else could you have seen yourself doing?

I think I would’ve ended up working for one of three amazing companies: Aldo, Reiss, or Kurt Geiger. I worked hard to become an area manager or sales director, coaching and motivating teams to love the products and the brand. That experience taught me so much – taking skills from one company to the next, each with its own culture, but all still in fashion.

Reiss, for example, taught me how to dress smarter and care for high-quality products. Each company is built on what I learned before. And I think I would’ve helped those companies succeed by helping others succeed, because that’s the only way. I’m not selfish; it’s all about giving.

Tell us one thing about yourself that people might be surprised to hear…

Wow, that’s tough! I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. Let me think while you grab a coffee…

Okay, here are two quick things [of course, there’s more than one]. First, my taste in music is all over the place. One day it’s Cannibal Corpse, the next it’s Mozart. I just love music in all its forms.

Second, most people don’t know that I wanted to be a famous actor – like those old-school movie stars from the fifties: James Dean, Rock Hudson, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor. I studied method acting, like Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, and then Stella Adler’s approach too – it’s about using imagination and truth, while still keeping fiction and reality separate.

I even lived in the Hollywood Hills on Beachwood Drive and did background work for HBO and Central Casting, just trying to get my foot in the door.

But when I met Diana, got married, and moved to Southampton in 2011, everything changed. We had only £3,600 when we arrived, rent was £850 a month, and we just found odd jobs and kept going. Diana found a job at Pitcher & Piano, and I got my first shot at Aldo Shoes – starting with bar backing, cleaning, and waiting tables. The people we met along the way were so supportive.

If acting doesn’t come back around, that’s okay. The universe took me on this path, and I’d be doing a disservice to myself and everyone else if I didn’t keep going.

Red or Blue?

I’m biased because I don’t really follow soccer closely. I remember living in LA surrounded by lots of blues and reds and not knowing what they meant. Then I learned about Manchester United and Manchester City. We get a lot of reds and blues coming in here [California Coffee], too.

And finally, what do you love most about Manchester?

Honestly, it’s the people. Hands down, that’s what I love most – and what I wouldn’t change for the world. It’s that blue-collar spirit: everyone here is so friendly, and there’s no hierarchy. You could have a business banker and someone like me, who used to scrub toilets, just meeting at a bar and becoming mates, buying each other drinks. You don’t see that everywhere.

And really, Manchester is my favourite city in the UK. Nothing against Brighton – I loved it there, and that chapter shaped who I needed to be to make it here. But up here, it’s so warm and welcoming. We arrived with nothing – a friend recommended the city, and Diana got a job at Blue Bar before teaching in Ancoats. I was helping out wherever I could until I landed a supervisor job at Reiss. The support we got from people in restaurants and hospitality was overwhelming.

It’s hard to put into words, but people here are genuinely lovely. When people ask if Manchester is home, I say absolutely – this is my home. When I was in L.A., I felt like a stranger in my homeland. But here? I couldn’t wait to come back. It’s everything you want in a place: amazing music, incredible artists, great food, and most of all, really good people. Beautiful.

Find out more about California Coffee

You can find out more about California Coffee and Justin Orozco by clicking here