E14: Yolanda Regalado - Owner of Sirens Java & Tea

Meet the owner of Sirens Java & Tea, listen to her personal story and how her dream of opening a coffee shop came to fruition.

 After she retired from the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department Yolanda Regalado wanted to fulfill a long time dream of hers to open an upscale coffee shop. Since then  she has awed us all with her latest entrepreneurial endeavors and is continuing to grow within the community as we speak. She was also the recipient of the 2018 Women of Distinction Award for the 70th District. Join us as we talk about her story and the love that went into building the community hub of Sirens Java & Tea. 

Yolanda on growing up in San Pedro":  

"Growing up in Pedro was great! ... There were some parts that you didn't go, and you knew that but you felt so comfortable... and everyone knew you, everyone's family knew you. You just felt safe and comfortable here. I did." 

Sirens has really become a community gathering place and impressed many of its customers, so much so that 7th street is becoming a point of interest for other local entrepreneurs and residents. She tells us about the challenges she faced in opening Sirens for the first time, from the renovations of the old building interior, to the red tape of the city. She credits her husband and local city officials for believing in her dream and getting her to the finish line. 

She explains the meaning behind the name "Sirens". Her dad being a fisherman would share stories of the sirens, in Spanish they're called "sirenas" (mermaids), and that story had always left an impression with her. She also liked the idea that having been a deputy sheriff and her brothers being Fire Firefighters. they also answered the call of the sirens. She called her coffee shop "Sirens" both in memory of her dad and her brother who have both passed away. 

 Yolanda on her hope for Sirens:  

"All I want to do with Sirens coffee is bring you back to basics, have a good cup of coffee, have a conversation. We don't have TVs in here, if you noticed, because we want people to interact. We have artists here, we have dignitaries here, you don't even know who you're sitting next to! Have a conversation, and you'll learn a world of experience from people."

She tells us heartwarming stories of the customers she meets at Sirens and she feels incredibly blessed that her business was received so well by the community. 

Sirens Announcement:

Their old location on 7th street in the old News Pilot building will be officially closed by the time this episode airs and they will reopen at their new location just up the block in early 2019. I will do my best to keep you posted on all updates, including their grand re-opening and any pop-up shops they may have in the mean time. 

LINKS: 

Siren's Java & Tea 

https://www.instagram.com/sirensjavateahouse/?hl=en