Press Release: Cafecito
Cafecito Opens New Coffee Shop in Downtown Denver’s Emily Griffith Building
Franchisee, 2Cafecito, partnering with Emily Griffith Technical College on coffee shop
DENVER, January 26, 2026 – The first franchise location of Cafecito, the Denver-based coffee company with a café and community space in Montbello, has opened in the Emily Griffith Campus in Downtown Denver. The franchise owner, 2Cafecito, is partnering with Emily Griffith Technical College (Emily Griffith) and Emily Griffith High School on the new coffee shop.
The downtown coffee shop has hired an Emily Griffith High School student to work at the new shop, creating a pathway for the student, and potentially others in the future, to provide hands-on, real-life work experience. Cafecito in Emily Griffith will donate a percentage of sales from the downtown coffee shop to the Emily Griffith Foundation to establish a Cafecito Scholarship to benefit Emily Griffith Technical College students.
Jorge Gonzalez is co-founder of Cafecito, and together with his wife, Elisa Morales, they are franchise owners of Cafecito in Emily Griffith. Jorge is an alumnus of Emily Griffith’s English Language Acquisition program. The career connections he made through his Emily Griffith education years ago paved the way for Gonzalez to help launch the first Cafecito location in the Montbello neighborhood of Denver.
“Opening a coffee shop at the Emily Griffith Campus and giving back to the community that gave so much to me is a dream come true,” said Jorge Gonzalez. “Cafecito was created as a coffee shop and gathering space, and the Emily Griffith Campus will provide the perfect location for us to support the community while also supporting Emily Griffith Technical College, the high school and the foundation.”
“Seeing one of our past students open a business is always a proud moment,” said Randy Johnson, executive director of Emily Griffith Technical College. “Having the chance to be engaged in the business in multiple ways, like we are with Cafecito, takes it to the next level. Congratulations to Jorge and Elisa on this wonderful partnership and venture.”
The coffee shop will offer Cafecito’s signature drinks and locally sourced pastries.
Cafecito is located at 1860 Lincoln St. in Denver and will be open to all including students, staff, and the general public. The coffee shop will generally be open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, visit https://drinkcafecito.com/
About Cafecito and Cafecito in Emily Griffith
Cafecito is a Denver-based coffee company dedicated to craft beverages, community connection, and creating welcoming spaces. With a focus on quality, culture, and community, Cafecito continues to grow its footprint through its first franchise location. Elisa Morales and Jorge Gonzalez are the owner/operators and franchisee of the first Cafecito franchise location, which is in the Emily Griffith building in Downtown Denver. They bring more than 20 years of high-quality hospitality experience in the food and beverage space to the concept. To learn more, visit https://drinkcafecito.com/.
About Emily Griffith Technical College
The mission of Emily Griffith Technical College (Emily Griffith) is to prepare students for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s opportunities. Emily Griffith is the public, postsecondary and adult education arm of the Denver Public School system and serves over 8,500 students through Career and Technical Education (CTE) certificate programs, apprenticeships, high school equivalency and English classes. Over the past 100+ years, the College has educated nearly two million students who have sought pathways toward long-term career advancement. In 2023, Emily Griffith Technical College was recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as an Apprenticeship Ambassador for serving as a champion in promoting, expanding, and diversifying Registered Apprenticeship. For more information, visit our website and follow us on social media.
Media Contacts
Jamie Winter
Winter Public Relations
Kay Watkins
Cafecito
Director of Marketing
kayw@drinkcafecito.com
www.drinkcafecito.com