New coffee shop takes over converted gas station near downtown SLO. What’s on the menu?

San Luis Obispo has a new spot to buy sip espresso drinks, buy roasted beans and enjoy a coffee break in the sunlight.

Joebella Coffee Roasters opened its second location this December, in the converted gas station that formerly housed Ascendo Coffee.

Two garage doors bring the light and warmth to the shop at 311 Higuera St., co-owner Isabella Steffenauer told The Tribune on Monday.

“We brought a lot of warmth into the building through just changing the paint color and adding some of our own touches,” she said. “People walk in and they feel cozy. I could do my work and sit here and enjoy coffee with my friends.”

Once Ascendo Coffee went on the market, marketing agency Doghouse Promotions — which owns the building — pushed Joseph Gerardis to buy the place, he said.

The reason? A Doghouse employee would often frequent the Joebella coffee shop in Atascadero.

The lease on the downtown San Luis Obispo spot was signed Oct. 20 and the shop opened in early December, Gerardis said.

“We felt it was a good opportunity,” he said. “We’ve always wanted to be in SLO and just never really found the right space and the right opportunity as well. The timing happened to work well.”

How did SLO County coffee shop owners get started?

Gerardis and his wife Isabel started roasting coffee beans in 2000 and bought their first big roaster in 2004.

The name Joebella comes from a combination of their two names.

Their dream of commercializing was realized in 2007, when they opened the first Joebella Coffee shop in Templeton — but the recession in 2008 affected their business, forcing them to move to 3168 El Camino Real in Atascadero in November 2013, Gerardis said.

Joebella also opened a location at the Paso Market Walk that has since been bought by a former employee and is being rebranded as Common Grounds Coffee, and H. Cheval Coffee in Paso Robles uses Joebella beans but is not owned by Gerardis and his wife.

Steffenauer said she worked as a barista and manager for one year at Joebella’s Atascadero location before being offered a new opportunity to be a partner in the new opening.

What’s on the menu at new Joebella Coffee Roasters?

The Joebella menu spans all the coffeehouse classics, including lattes, americanos, matcha and tiny cup espressos. Gerardis’ Italian background in particular comes into play with the shop’s cappuccinos: All are the traditional size of eight ounces, he said.

“We don’t do any large, 20-ounce drinks,” he said. “Everything’s eight, 12 or 16. Somewhat traditional and third wave type of style.”

The shop’s specialty drinks include a miel — a honey and cinnamon latte — a horchata latte and a Santa Fe latte, with agave and chili powder.

“You either love it or you hate it,” Gerardis said of the drink.

Meanwhile the available baked goods are from local shops like Bike Bread Bakery, Edna’s Bakery, Bramble Pie Co. and Back Porch Bakery, according to Steffenauer.

She hopes to create her own gluten-free products in the future, she added.

For more information

Joebella Coffee Roasters in San Luis Obispo is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For more information, visit its website to order online, or call 805-439-0141.