Buenos Dias Cafe is Thriving in Eastside

I frequently drive down 14th Street, which is the “back way” to so many places. It’s a Riversider shortcut from downtown to UCR or Canyon Crest, and a way to bypass the 91/60/215 interchange when heading east to Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, or south to San Diego. I’ve driven down 14th Street thousands of times but can’t remember ever stopping and getting out of the car. I’ve lived along Victoria Avenue and never stopped at the gas station on 14th. My kid had soccer training at Bordwell, and I parked on Ottawa. I have no aversion to it, nor have I had a reason to stop.

A couple of months ago, Buenos Días Cafe opened on the corner of 14th and Grove, between Park and Victoria. I watched it evolve over several weeks. It started with fresh paint. White cinder blocks are typical of the austere marketing of other local coffee shops. Then splashes of color, a concha, then “el que madruga, Dios lo ayuda” (God helps those who wake up early) painted on the side, then a portrait of Frida Kahlo. This wasn’t another minimalist coffee shop looking for cheap rent. I was curious, but I didn’t stop.

Then I saw Mark from Riverside post a couple of reviews and learned that the owners, Suzy and Xochitl, are local. The food looked great, so the next time I was on 14th Street, I decided to stop.

Buenos Días Cafe is great. The washed-out minimalism of most coffee shops has been replaced by Latin music and bright colors. I had the ham breakfast burrito, which was very good, and a strawberry and cream agua fresca that was amazing. The Morenita, a piloncillo (dark brown sugar) latte, was superb. Buenos Días Cafe is a reason to stop on your drive down 14th.

I’m not revealing any secret by writing this. The place is popular. You can tell a business is reaching customers by a full parking lot, but you can tell it’s truly connecting with the community when the shop is busier than that lot. When people walk to your shop, there is a special connection. It becomes a part of the neighborhood, and the neighborhood becomes an extension of the home.

I hope Buenos Días continues its success and encourage you to stop in for a drink or some chilaquiles. This type of business is the antidote to the big franchise monoculture that dominates so many cities, including Riverside. Buenos Días interfaces with the Eastside in a way a Starbucks never could. If you want cool things, support entrepreneurship in your neighborhood. Things that are fed thrive.