Dahlia Coffee Co. Brings Mexican Coffee and Culture to Cleveland

In 2021, Natalia Alcazar moved to Cleveland from Portland, Oregon for love. But when she got here, one of the other loves of her life was missing – coffee that reminded her of her Mexican heritage. A year into living in Cleveland, she decided to take matters into her own hands and bring the Mexican coffee culture she grew up loving to her new home town.

“I moved here and I couldn't find any Mexican coffee shops. There's so many back in Portland, and it was something I really miss and something I had been passionate about for a long time.”

From a single roaster at home and selling beans to her online community, to owning two bustling cafés in the Cudell and Old Brooklyn neighborhoods, her dreams are now a reality. Alcazar and her team now bring those family-favorite flavors to the Cleveland community.

Family Traditions to Dahlia Coffee Co.

Alcazar grew up surrounded by coffee culture. At home, coffee was part of everyday life in her Mexican household. Outside of home, Portland's coffee scene only deepened her love for the beverage. She’s dreamed of opening a coffee business since 2012. A decade later, she found herself in Cleveland with an unsatisfying corporate job. It was time to take the leap. So she learned how to roast coffee in Minnesota and brought those new talents back to The Land with a roaster and the drive to bring her dream to life.

In 2022, she left her corporate job and began selling coffee beans online to her growing social media audience. She named her business Dahlia Coffee Co. after Mexico's national flower. Even the coffee bags tell a personal story, featuring an illustration of Alcazar and her grandmother. The entrepreneurial legacy from her grandmother and father carries through the entire business with drinks like the Café de Olla (traditional Mexican spiced coffee made with cinnamon and cane sugar), a drink inspired by her childhood.

“The Café de Olla latte is very special to me because it reminds me of the Café de Olla coffee my grandma used to make when i was little. She would make us pancakes for breakfast and the smell of the cafe de olla would fill the entire kitchen.”

Finding Community Across Cleveland’s Neighborhoods

After honing her roasting skills, Alcazar took her beans to the streets of Cleveland. Her first “kiosk cafe” was located inside the Pivot Center in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, often serving parents whose kids were visiting the community arts center. After about nine months, she took Dahlia Coffee Co. to what felt more like a “destination” to Alcazar in the Cudell neighborhood. The shop was surrounded largely by industrial buildings factories in Cudell, but she saw the potential in the large yard where the Dahlia community had space to grow. Over the years she has done just that with partners such as Ghost Market and Avanzamos Unidos, who have collaborated to bring outdoor markets to the Cudell location.

In August of 2026, Dahlia Coffee Co. opened the doors to its second location on Broadview Road in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood bringing even more seating, room for the team to produce their Mexican-inspired tortas and greater opportunity for future community events. As Dahlia continues to grow, Alcazar is excited about the growing presence of Latino businesses in Cleveland and how the community has celebrated it.

“It's been amazing to see how Clark-Fulton has evolved over the last few years, especially with the addition of CentroVilla25… We need more projects like CentroVilla25 so we can help entrepreneurs start their business at a budget that is affordable and attainable. I'd love to see this space evolve into the Latino version of the West Side Market.”

A Taste of Mexico in Every Cup

Natalia Alcazar's Mexican heritage is reflected in every part of her coffee shop, from the menu to the decor and the people welcoming you in. One of the café's most popular drinks is the Mexican mocha, made with chocolate from a Mexican family-owned company in Seattle with cacao sourced from Jalisco. There's also the house-made horchata, a sweet, cinnamon-forward favorite and, of course, the Café de Olla latte inspired by those her grandmother made growing up.

What’s Next for Dahlia?

At Dahlia, it's about more than what's in your cup. The words "mi casa es su casa" are displayed on the wall at the Cudell location, reflecting Alcazar's approach to hospitality. She wants every customer to feel they belong, whether they're stopping in for their morning coffee or getting to know the neighborhood over a latte.

“We want you to feel welcome and at home, and we want the conversations between the baristas and the customers to be genuine. We want to get to know you, we want to know what's going on in your life.”

With two Cleveland cafés, plans to grow her coffee roastery and hopes of one day expanding to the East Side, Alcazar is already thinking about what's next for Dahlia Coffee Co. And as Cleveland's coffee scene continues to grow, she's excited to be part of what's brewing.