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Arroyo.- A couple of years ago, Jacob Soto-Anaya decided to throw himself into an adventure called Café y Cultura, a coffee shop located on Calle Morse in Arroyo. From there he wakes up his town with the scent of coffee and the exquisite crepes that highlight his business.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown when the 25-year-old began experimenting in the kitchen. Eventually, he found that perfect recipe with which he now makes his famous crepes, waffles and pancakes that, together with coffee, are the protagonists of his menu.

“The truth is that I was learning to cook. I haven’t taken classes. But I’ve always been that person who eats French toast at 3:00 in the morning since I was a kid. So we went along that line. We visited a lot of websites from different Latin American countries to try different recipes. Of all those recipes, we chose the one that we liked the most and I made it my way until we got the consistency we wanted. And that’s how our recipe was born,” said the young entrepreneur. He opened his business in 2021 with the help of his family.

Among his most popular creations, there are: La Crepleta, El Bucanero, Dulces Sueños, and the Cultura Waffles. These are the most requested dishes at the locale.

“Dulces Sueños is a fruit and hazelnut cream crepe with a cream cheese that we make here. Crepleta is a crepe that’s made with three different meats: chicken, ham and bacon. We add potato chips and mayo ketchup. We also have El Bucanero, which is a crepe filled with fried or scrambled eggs. If they’re scrambled [eggs], you can add vegetables, ham and bacon. It also includes two cheeses and avocado. And the Cultura Waffles have two fried eggs, with bacon and mayo ketchup,” the chef explained.

The common addition to these dishes is the 100% Puerto Rican coffee.

“Our coffee comes from Ciales; it’s Café Del Alba. We’re very basic (when it comes) to coffee, but our product is so well made that everyone loves it. We have natural flavors such as coconut, caramel, mocha, vanilla, amaretto and hazelnut. But our coffee can even be drunk without sugar,” said the barista. He also offers a coffee bar service for private activities.

About his beginnings, Soto-Anaya highlighted the role of his parents Marangely Anaya and Jacob Soto-López, who are riding alongside him on this culinary adventure.

“My family had a child care center here in Arroyo and it closed because of COVID. We reinvented ourselves by cooking at home. I liked cooking during the pandemic (when I was) bored. And the idea of a coffee shop came up because dad loves coffee and mom took barista classes online. So, with what little we had, we decided to look for alternatives,” said the Arroyo native, who started his business doing home deliveries.

“I used to prepare coffee with a small machine, aside from selling some dishes. Then I set out to look for a locale and found this old house,” he said of the business located in front of the building of the Antigua Aduana Americana. Its façade and beautiful balcony give the perfect excuse for a coffee break.

Those who wish to visit Café y Cultura can do so from Tuesday to Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more information you can access their Facebook page: Café y Cultura, or call 787-929-9169.