August 6, 2024 – Local Clovis coffee shop “Monkey Dog Coffee” owner Alex Osuna has taken supporting community businesses to another level. Every month, Osuna hosts different vendors with an indoor “pop-up shop” for visitors to enjoy while they sip their morning coffee.
On Saturday, August 3rd, they hosted vendors once again – complete with personalized mason jars, unique candle scents and wax melts, sports apparel, and other items.
Osuna was the inspiration behind this idea – merging a coffee-shop vibe with the experience of a vendor fair.
“Blackstone Ave Coffee,” the previous name for the shop, started out as a pop-up shop itself, allowing Osuna to understand the challenges of working as a vendor pop-up.
He explained, “For me, it was just something I wanted to do to help those that are up-and-coming … We normally have a steady stream of people walking through, so it gives the customers something to do, and helps the small vendors.”
The coffee shop has come a long way since the start, when Osuna decided to give up his corporate job to pursue his dream of opening a coffee shop in 2021. The location was finished being built in 2022, and Osuna opened up shop a week later.
Much of the inspiration behind the business came from his children – “Monkey Dog” is a blending of nicknames he ascribes to his son and daughter, and the eclectic design on the walls of the store are painted with the same shade of blue found in his daughter’s bedroom.
Two vendors had items for display and purchase at the pop-up event – Love and Faith Boutique and Juan Galvan Treasures.
Juan Galvan’s Treasures identifies as a “Cali picker and hustler,” selling items such as sports apparel, vintage clothing, and unique accessories.
Love and Faith Boutique, managed by Stephanie Lawson, is an online shop selling hand-crafted soaps, candles, wax melts, bath salts, and other similar items. One of their most popular items is the Fruit Loops candle, a sweet scent mirroring the cereal that customers adore.
Lawson’s business started a few years ago with her daughter, who wanted to make bath bombs. She also offers seasonal candles to fit the time of the year.
Hosting these pop-up shops is not the only way Osuna helps small businesses. The desserts found at the store are locally bought in Merced from A Sweet Treat Bakery, and some of the items they purchase for making food and drinks are bought from local stores.
Additionally, the front of the store has a donation box for a local nonprofit, a skateboard salvaging group called Fresno Skateboard Salvage. Anyone who donates gets a chance to win a gift card.
Osuna and others look forward to their upcoming events such as a paint night on August 17th as well as a Halloween-themed indoor pop-up event in September. Those interested can follow Monkey Dog Coffee on Facebook or Instagram, visit their website at monkeydogcoffee.com, or visit them at 386 W Ashlan Ave F.