Garcia doesn’t do it alone. His wife Grecia is a tax analyst who helped him register his business as an LLC, and assists at his pop-ups, selling homegrown plants under the name
His big break came when his friend and mentor David Rodriguez, who owns The Tipping Point streetwear store in downtown, decided to add a coffee bar to his storefront. Garcia helped Rodriguez and co-owner Joseph Boudreaux develop the coffee offerings at the store, and in 2020, the pair asked Garcia to supply their beans full-time. The Tipping Point has since opened a second location — this one more of a traditional coffee shop — in the Heights.
Garcia roasts about 80 pounds of coffee for The Tipping Point every week using an industrial roaster that he rents out from friends at Zelie Beans Coffee in Fort Bend County. The smaller batches that go in one-pound bags pop-ups are roasted at home in his garage. Sergio Garcia removes foam from a cup of coffee before before testing new blends for his coffee company, Rasa Libre, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.Sergio Garcia talks about the process of roasting coffee beans for his company, Rasa Libre, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.Sergio Garcia talks about the process of roasting coffee beans for his company, Rasa Libre, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.