Back of the Yards’ very own, Mayra Hernandez and Jesse Iniguez, are more than the owners of our local coffee shop, Back of the Yards Coffeeshop and Roastery: they are leaders of the community. Most of us were informed of the changes they want to bring to the community in a previous issue of The Maroon. Some of these changes include promoting culture, peace, and education.

Mayra and Jesse have intentions of supporting our community’s local economy and environment. They donate to the community by supporting local programs and even clubs here at BOYCP. In mid-May, they donated $500 to Casa Romero, which is an organization that provides kids in BOTY with tutoring and food aid. Recently, to help educate and entertain the community, there is a crate full of books outside the shop. The way it works is that if you take a book, you leave another. They also shop locally to support the local economy, and to save the environment, they are composting waste and educating the community on ways to go green.

Mayra and Jesse take pride in their Latinx heritage, and they use it to influence some of their menu choices like many other local businesses. They want the BOTY neighborhood to be remembered for its culture, not the violence.

This coffee shop is a safe place for the BOTY community, especially for students. Mayra and Jesse welcome all to work or relax while enjoying the goods, and you can find students and teachers at the coffee house doing just that.

-Josephine Sulls