A Coffee Expedition from Colombia
To Los Angeles CA

The idea came from outside
of Colombia

For Andrés Piñeros founder of The Boy & The Bear, the shift did not begin in Colombia, but in Falkenberg, a small coastal town in Sweden. It was there, unexpectedly and far from home, that he encountered coffee with a level of care and precision he had never experienced before.

In that moment, his understanding of coffee changed permanently. It was a moment of clarity the realization that coffee could be extraordinary. Years later, this realization would become the foundation of The Boy & The Bear: to create that same moment of discovery for others.

The Origin:

Andrés had grown up in Villavicencio, Colombia, a low-elevation tropical city where coffee is neither cultivated nor deeply embedded in daily life.

In the 1980s and 1990s, most Colombian households consumed commodity-grade or instant coffee. Coffee existed as routine, not as something to be elevated as a craft.

Arrival in California and the
Vision for a Roastery

Andrés arrived in Los Angeles in 2013 with no certainty of success:

The goal was clear: to build his own coffee roastery and recreate that "aha! moment" the moment that redefined his understanding of coffee in Sweden for his future customers. This would be supported by an elevated experience where world-class coffee, architecture, interior design, and genuine human warmth come together as one complete expression.

He arrived at LAX with a suitcase and a leased car. No roadmap. Only an idea he believed in deeply, and a very specific vision for how it needed to exist. There was no plan B. No flexibility to dilute the concept. The only path was to build it fully, and to make it succeed.

Over the next two years, he immersed himself in specialty coffee, which was still in its early stages in Los Angeles. He visited cafés constantly, studied roasting, and spoke with anyone willing to share knowledge. He paid attention not only to the coffee, but to the full operation the spaces, the customer experience and the economics behind each day to understand how to build something sustainable.

Design as Brand Language

Before coffee, Andrés was a musician and graphic designer:

Those disciplines never left. They became part of the foundation and the unique DNA of The Boy & The Bear. Each space is created with intention. Light, proportion, texture, and dynamic color contrasts were carefully considered. Every element was carefully composed, just like music, just like design and architecture.

Our cafés are designed to communicate the respect and intention for the craft of coffee, and equally important, to inspire others. The environment reflects the same level of care behind the coffee itself.

Our Logo:

The Boy & The Bear was inspired by a Swedish folk tale about an unlikely friendship between a boy and a bear. Two different beings, walking forward together, finding connection despite their differences. They share something in common that brings them together.

The logo became a symbol of connection between cultures, between people, between origin and destination.

What's specialty Coffee?

Specialty coffee is defined by high quality, transparency and traceability.

It also represents coffee as craft and something beyond the morning routine, instead an experience where one pauses to admire the complexity and character of a single cup.

Specialty Coffee is the foundation of that “aha! moment” we pursue at The Boy & The Bear, the realization that coffee can be expressive, complex, and true sensorial experience.

The “Magic” Behind Growth

The growth of The Boy & The Bear did not happen easily or overnight:

It came through years of uncertainty, invisible labor, and decisions made without safety nets but led by observation, and conservative but creative financial thinking.

A strong DIY approach was essential to build, improve budget efficiency, and move forward while protecting every dollar spent.

As a Colombian immigrant, Andrés started and built The Boy & The Bear without inherited infrastructure, without institutional investment, or a business education background.

The Boy & The Bear is truly a company built from scratch, alongside incredible people, baristas and team members who left their mark and contributed their ideas and care into its DNA.

What began as one location became (8) eight stores by the end of 2026 and what began as a personal pursuit became a real company.