Awake Creativity with Tired Eyes

Tired Eyes Coffee Roasters’ new coffee shop pours a cup of coffee that fuels creativity

Mary Pat Abruzzo

Sandwiched between the glass and brick storefronts lining F street, the cartoon coffee mug logo pasted onto the Tired Eyes window catches the eye of the common coffee addict. It’s grumpy, scrunched eyelids resemble that of a face before a daily cup of joe. Although the customers that sit outside its doors, sipping oat milk cappuccinos and cold brews have an opposite expression.

Tired Eyes Coffee Roasters is new to the East Village neighborhood, opening six months ago in August. Head coffee roaster and owner, Tyler Herrera, explained that Tired Eyes has been around much longer than the store opening. Starting from a small home roaster in his parents backyard, Herrera soon began selling his coffee to other shops and online. He also organized Tired Eyes pop-ups, serving pour overs at art galleries. Herrera wasn’t in a rush to open up shop, he first wanted to build his brand and identity. “If you walk into the store you can see that the brand is very important to us,” Herrera explained. The walls inside are decorated with merchandise, including T-shirts and mugs with the Tired Eyes mascot.

As a small roaster, when it comes to coffee his standards of quality and taste are set extremely high, but Tired Eyes pushes further than just great coffee. Herrera strives to create an experience that customers can’t find elsewhere. When it comes to differentiation, Tired Eyes is fearless to be themselves. “There are a million shops out there, we shouldn’t be afraid to be us,” Herrera explained. Herrera strained the importance of developing a strong relationship with his customers. He wants his shop to be an environment geared towards creatives. “People who are doing their own hustle can feel comfortable because they see we are hustling just as hard,” Herrera said. Herrera’s goal is for Tired Eyes to be an inspiration to entrepreneurs and creative minds.

It’s always been more than just coffee for Herrera. After working as a barista in high school at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, he quickly noticed that coffee has more use than just to jumpstart one’s day. Coffee was a fuel for an individual to pursue their passion. A place that served this fuel brought creatives together. This is what sparked his ideas for Tired Eyes. “This is the fuel to bring all these creative people together. I feel honored to have a place where we can do that,” Herrera smiled. Tired Eyes was built off of this appreciation for all that is creative.

Today, Herrera puts most of his creative energy into Tired Eyes but in his free-time he expresses creativity through BMX riding. “To me the best way to tap into your creativity is to find connection to something you love and freedom within that,” Herrera explained. Herrera’s BMX background heavily influenced his concept of Tired Eyes. He explained that Tired Eyes would not exist without BMX. “I don’t want it to be coffee inspired by coffee. I looked outside of coffee for influences like BMX and skating.” With this exterior inspiration, Tired Eyes was able to be unique by simply being themselves.

With the growth of Tired Eyes, Herrera will continue to strive to provide a unique and memorable experience, one that will inspire creation and fuel it too.

Tired Eyes Coffee

803 F St, San Diego, CA 92101

https://tiredeyescoffee.com/

@tiredeyescoffee