Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sara De Luca. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Invita comes from the Italian word “Invitare,” which means “To Invite”. We want to invite our guests to celebrate a centuries-old Italian tradition: Gathering at a neighborhood cafe to socialize, collaborate, and offer a cup of espresso to a friend. Our goal is to modernize this tradition and bring Italian coffee to Southern California. This is why our company motto is “Ti Invito Per Un Caffe!” which translates to “We invite you for a cup of coffee!”.
Sara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Growing up, some of my fondest memories include summers in Italy, especially our leisurely Sunday dinners at Nonna’s house. After enjoying a 5-course meal, I was responsible for preparing 20 shots of espresso to finish off our lovely evening. I have always wanted to bring the same experience and memories of how I grew up enjoying an espresso in Italy to America. I now have the pleasure of offering this through Invita. Instead of 20 people, it’s now 200 people a day—with my amazing team! Invita represents an invitation to experience an extension of the beautiful Italian family I grew up in.
My goal is to invite customers to sit back and enjoy their premium cup of Italian coffee while experiencing a sense of community, family, and Italian hospitality. Invita reflects the hospitality and values my grandmothers, aunts, and mother instilled in me! We also have delicious toasts, sandwiches, salads, and more to enjoy your coffee with!
Any advice for managing a team?
The most important advice I have for managing a team and maintaining high morale is to lead by example. My team knows that I will step in to help at a moments notice, and I will also get my hands dirty for the company. I strive to always have a smile on my face and a joyful and grateful attitude when I enter my shop, because when my employees see that, they want to be upbeat and joyful too. This guarantees that they will provide a positive work environment for themselves and the rest of the team, and our guests will experience the premium customer service that we have to offer.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When covid hit, I unfortunately had to furlough my whole team. We thought for a while about shutting down, but we decided to fight for the company. This was only possible because 10 of my cousins stepped in to keep our doors open! They worked for free and did it with big smiles on their faces, ready to bring joy to San Diego County with our premium coffee. From there, we slowly began paying them for their hard work again and then began hiring new people onto the team. It took some time, but we are back full speed ahead!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.invitacafe.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invitacafe/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/invita-rancho-santa-fe