Written by: Anthony Simone
Photography by: Pete Comparoni
December 5, 2024

Coffee and college students go together like macaroni and cheese. UNT alumni Francisco Delgado ('22) and Alyson Flores ('22) are two entrepreneurs who undersand this wholeheartedly. When they met at freshman orientation in 2017, they had no idea they'd eventually open their own coffee business together.

The couple began the company in June 2024 -- cleverly naming it Eagle Cawffee, in a nod to Denton's biggest and most prominent university. While attending UNT, Delgado majored in business entrepreneurship. Flores started with psychology until she switched and graduated with a degree in English.

"We've been to a lot of coffeeshops and it's kind of our thing to go to a coffeeshop, critique it and then see what we could do better," Delgado says. "Essentially, nobody has our vision here in Denton, so we want to bring that vision here to Denton."

Delgado's natural sense of entrepreneurship mixed with Flores' love for coffee launched the idea of creating a coffee brand for students.

Eagle Cawffee's menu consists of conventional drinks such as iced lattes, cold brews, iced matcha and chai. Their most profitable beverage is the Horchata Latte. Horchata is a sweet rice milk beverage which is commonly found in Latin American countries.

"We figured we'd bring our own cultural tradition into the business and it became our best-seller," Flores says.

Although the company is still in its early stages, the couple already has regular customers at their pop-up shops, who give them a tremendous amount of love and motivation to continue selling.

Eagle Cawfee examples
Eagle Cawfee examples

Currently, the company exists online with a few pop-up locations on certain days at different area organizations and businesses, including the UNT Coffee Beans Club, Vagabond Vintage near the downtown Denton square and occasional pop-ups at UNT's Business Leadership Building.

In an area with numerous coffee shops for residents and students to enjoy, the duo knows they need to be distinct from their competition.

They initially considered opening a shop on the square, Delgado says. "But, I mean, you've got West Oak, you've got Jupiter House. There's too many and, you know, it's kind of a trek. I know a lot of students walk across campus, and we're there -- like, that's perfect, just that accessibility."

Another thing that goes great with coffee and students is books. The eventual goal is for Eagle Cawffee to have a brick-and-mortar location that not only offers coffee, but also books for sale in an environment fit for people who want to hang out.

"I want to sell books in our coffee shop, and there isn't one around here" Flores says. " What we're going to bring is brightness, joy -- somewhere comfortable that students want to stay and work."

Despite the major cost of starting the business – the couple estimates it will range from about $200,000 to $300,000 – they are determined to get the coffee shop/bookstore up and running. Through the process, they hope to show UNT students that success is always possible if there's a will to do it.

"It's super cliché, but just don't give up, because so many things can go wrong, and it's so easy to give up and take the easy way out," Delgado says. "But if you're really passionate for something, you've got to keep going."