As the school year nears its end for students at Point Loma Nazarene University, the south side of Ocean Beach (OB) blossoms with new beginnings. On the corner of Narragansett Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, Ultreya Coffee and Tea opened its doors on Nov. 16 as the newest coffee shop in OB.
On the front of the shop, the corner cafe displays its catchy slogan: “Coffee + Cute Things.”
For co-owners Lianne Freund and Danielle Riggins, opening a shop has been a fulfilling but strenuous journey.
“We did everything ourselves,” Freund said. “[Riggins] built the whole bar, we painted the walls.”
In addition to the physical labor behind the development of the Ultreya location in OB, there were also some financial limitations the owners faced throughout the opening process.
“We didn’t have a huge fund like a lot of places [opening shops] do who have people behind them backing them with a lot of money,” Freund said.
The co-owners worked with the resources they had to open up the shop. Despite any buffers that Freund and Riggins faced, the coffee shop was up and running in two months and they said they feel great about it.
2.7 miles away from PLNU, students can grab a pastry and espresso at Ultreya before class.
“I just went to the coffee shop for the first time,” Emma Plasencia, a third-year nursing major, said. “The employees are friendly and they have so many cute things to look at while you wait for your coffee.”
The OB cafe is an extension of its sister roastery shop, located near San Diego State University (SDSU) on College Avenue which has been open for seven years, according to Riggins.
The trademark “Coffee + Cute Things” combines the “coffee” (beans from Ultreya) with “cute things” from Freund’s personal business, Aromalee Shop.
“I own Aromalee,” Freund said. “And I hand-make all the candles and aromatherapy products.”
While Freund has a knack for developing scented products, Riggins is the professional when it comes to specialty coffee.
“I source [the coffee beans] from Mexico, Brazil – kind of all over – depending on what’s in season, from a place called InterAmerican,” Riggins said. “I roast them at our [SDSU] facility.”
One compassionate characteristic of Ultreya is illustrated by uplifting women in the coffee industry.
“There are a lot of women who are growing the coffee on farms, actually, that people don’t realize,” Riggins said. “There are a lot of men who work in coffee, but we are trying to highlight and uplift the amazing women who are growing excellent coffee beans.”
Riggins works with women in coffee across international borders. She recently collaborated with 12 women in Veracruz, Mexico.
“We connect with [these women] and we help raise money to make the equipment a little bit easier for them,” Riggins said. “Anything we can do to make them feel more included. They are growing amazing coffee.”
As for the local community surrounding Ultreya in OB, Riggins believes that they are mending a gap with the addition of a new cafe in the area.
“I feel like we are filling a need,” Riggins said. “South OB doesn’t really have a lot of coffee down here.”
While there are plenty of other coffee shops in or near OB, the co-owners are optimistic about the impact the new shop will have on the local community.
“I feel like it’s being really well received,” Riggins said. “It’s been really fun and people have been so excited, so that’s a positive thing.”
Steve Anderson 
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