Inspira Coffee: A Coffee Truck as a Test Run for a Coffee Shop

Justin and Corinna Valdez both possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, but it took the right idea to bring it to life. “We always wanted to own a coffee shop, but it felt like a pipe dream,” Justin says. One day, Corinna suggested—what if they opened a coffee truck instead? The idea was sound, and Inspira Coffee was born.

The financial investment was significantly lower, and the truck could be driven to where customers were, instead of taking a risk on a brick-and-mortar location. The couple and their kids came to Dallas for a weekend, and Corinna and left with a gold mine of Texas Coffee School expertise. As Justin puts it, the information the she learned in our classroom helped quiet any doubts.

Scaling back a lifestyle to finance a dream

Even though the investment for the coffee truck was much less than for a shop—around $20,000 versus hundreds of thousands of dollars—it was still going to require a lot of Justin and Corinna. They both worked full time and were raising two kids while paying for a mortgage, cars, vacations, and more.

Justin realized they needed to take a few steps back. He and Corinna decided to sell their house and cut their mortgage cost in half by moving to a smaller home. They went down to one car. They paid off debt. Essentially, they were building a parachute in order to take a jump.

Launching Inspira Coffee, a mobile coffee truck

With the money in order and an education secured, Justin and Corinna set out to sell specialty coffee from their renovated FedEx truck. It’s named Inspira Coffee because they want to inspire others to chase their dreams, too. “You’ll be rewarded for moving with faith and overcoming all the obstacles that come your way,” Justin says.

A major advantage of a coffee truck is that you can drive it anywhere, to any event or location that welcomes you, no matter the size. Justin began driving Inspira Coffee to car dealerships, churches, and pop-up events. He’d bring Corinna or his teenage daughter for help if things got busy. Over time, they gained thousands of social media followers and began catering corporate events, weddings, quinceañeras, baby showers, and birthdays.

Now, the truck is stationed at a single location where regulars come by for their favorite drinks. “People want to support real people following their dreams,” Justin explains. Inspira Coffee just celebrated four years of success!

Testing successful strategies for a brick-and-mortar coffee shop

Inspira Coffee has big things on the horizon—they’ve just signed a lease for a physical shop and been approved for a hefty SBA loan. Permits and remodeling are in the works!

Justin wants to serve coffee like a local, with a name known around the neighborhood. And he and Corinna have the confidence and knowledge they need after successfully launching the coffee truck. They’ve invested in the right equipment, created operational standards, and employed great people. They’ve honed in on the coffee menu and ditched bottled syrups for homemade ones—”brown sugar and butter” is the bestseller. More than anything, they’ve built a loyal customer base in the neighborhood who is ready to help their new location succeed.

The duo plans to serve more food and open a drive thru to increase profitability. And since there are only chain coffee brands around, Inspira will offer the best coffee in the nearby market. In the meantime, the coffee truck will find a new neighborhood to test out! Growth is on the horizon.

With the people they’ve met and events they’ve worked along the way, Justin feels like they’re on the right path. His message to others is simple: You don’t need a degree or huge amount of money to take the jump for your dream. It’s not exclusive—anyone can do that. Most importantly, keep an eye on your “why.”

Learn How to Open a Coffee Truck Like Inspira Coffee at Texas Coffee School

Our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class has helped launch hundreds of successful coffee trucks, cafés, trailers, drive-thrus, and hybrid models. Yours could be next! Bring your coffee shop dream to our classroom and let us help you bring it to life. With a world-class education from our team of experts, you’ll have the intel you need to face any obstacle. And you’ll turn a profit sooner than you would setting out on your own. Sign up for a 2025 weekend today.