An Adore-able Coffee House Giving Back to the Community

I was driving through downtown San Diego after visiting Balboa Park when a large crowd caught my eye. People were spilling out of a new coffee shop that had just opened on Cortez Hill. While stopped at a brief red light, I could see there was a lot of excitement. When the light turned green, I took note of the name, Adore Coffee House, to be sure to return.

I came back a few days later when the line wasn’t out the door and all over the sidewalk, letting me enjoy the full experience that Adore Coffee House has to offer. The interior is primarily white with pops of green which feels very sophisticated and calming. A decorative bike sits upon a display of flower bouquets from the adjoining business, Lunas Flowers. It reminded me of visiting family in Europe when I was younger, which made me instantly feel very comfortable. With my European travels I have the biased notion that Europeans do coffee better, which added to my excitement of trying Adore’s coffee offerings. I was greeted by a woman with a welcoming and friendly smile, who turned out to be the owner, Marina Goncharenko. She wore a sweater that read “I am Ukrainian”. After striking up a conversation, she was happy to sit down with me and talk about her business while I sampled her delicious espresso.

As it turns out, being European does not instantly make you a connoisseur of coffee making. Marina had to learn a lot before she was ready to open Adore. She enrolled in formal culinary, barista, and business classes, and shadowed friends and fellow small business owners she met along the way. Hearing her talk, it seemed overwhelming to me, however, Marina shared that her passion for learning helped make all of education and training manageable, and fun. We talked about how she came to open Adore in San Diego, and she shared that it all began back in Ukraine making pancakes with her grandmother as a child. She remembers especially loving watching the pancakes turn from yellow to white. Her favorite childhood memories are of cooking and she enjoying food with her family, so as an adult, she always wanted to open a place where she could share her love of food with others.

Now, with Adore Coffee House, she has extended the feeling of family and community to her very own business. Marina has created a relaxing, welcoming space where people can pop in for a quick drink or bite to eat, or stay for a while to work or catch up with friends. Guests can connect to the wifi “community room” and enjoy a wide array of craft coffee drinks and specialty toasts. I had the fig and goat cheese toast which is served on thick and crunchy sourdough bread. It was served with an edible flower on each slice,  one blue and one yellow  in honor of Ukraine. It pairs well with the Brave Latte which utilizes turmeric and blue-dyed spirulina to form a Ukrainian Flag layered on top of the espresso.

Marina explained the significance of layers throughout her business. “In many of my signature drinks, I use layers to create beautiful and delicious experiences It can be a layer of blue spirulina, milk, coffee, and cream. It looks pretty, and you need to mix it to enjoy how the flavors come together. I consider my business the same. The deepest layer, the basement, is my love for people. I use only organic coffee and good-quality products because I care about my customers’ health. I also believe that food should not only taste good, but look amazing. I think that the most important thing I want to create here is experience. We have many flowers here, amazing drinks, and delicious food, and we hire staff that shares our values. All these layers create an adorable and memorable experience.”

As adorable as Marina and Adore Coffee House are, her story has another, more somber and heartbreaking layer as well. A couple of months before the invasion of Ukraine, Marina’s husband passed away due to cancer. She has opened Adore Coffee House in his honor as he was always her biggest supporter. He believed in her when she did not believe in herself.. Fortunately, her sister and niece were able to join her in San Diego and now help her with the booming business. Her parents are still in Ukraine, and she makes sure to call them twice a day. Despite the unimaginable sadness and chaos of the last couple of years, Marina has been able to find a light in the darkness. A light that she now shines on all of San Diego. 

To hear more about Marina’s story and get an inside look at the unique coffee drinks and delicious food she is creating, check out her video interview inside Adore Coffee House.