Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Jessica Maldonado and her family in front of her new coffee truck before the soft opening of Something Simple Coffee at The Preserve.
There’s nothing simple about starting a new business, especially for someone who is raising six children and works another job. But for Jessica Maldonado, simple is exactly what she was going for when she opened her mobile coffee and drinks truck in June.
Her truck, Something Simple Coffee + Sips, offers a variety of coffee, lemonade and energy refresher drinks at locations across Hoover and neighboring cities.
Photos by Savannah Schmidt.
Jessica Maldonado takes orders at her new coffee truck before the soft opening of Something Simple Coffee at The Preserve.
A Hoover native, Maldonado said she wanted to start her business here and continue planting roots in the community with her family, including her children: Reilly, 19; Mayah, 17; Madilyn, 8; Isabelle, 6; Sophia, 3; and Noah, 1. Her husband, Ignacio, is a detective with the Hoover Police Department, and Jessica will serve on the PTO board at Gwin Elementary School this year.
She has also formed connections through her time working as a server, shift lead and manager at various restaurants. Now an administrative assistant at J. Alexander’s, she said that job has helped her learn more about the business aspect of running a restaurant, which made her wonder what else she could do with that experience.
“I just started thinking, ‘Why can’t I do this for myself and build something that is mine?’” Maldonado said. “I would be able to coordinate and accommodate my schedule and make my own hours, and I wouldn’t have to miss out on the kids’ events and school activities.”
That question transformed into an idea to open a coffee shop and later evolved into having a mobile coffee truck.
“Coffee was always something that my husband and I enjoyed, and it was something that I could go and do with my friends too,” she said. “It just gives you that sense of comfort, and I wanted to be able to give that back.”
Maldonado found a horse trailer that had been converted into a coffee trailer and began making it her own. After two years of planning and overcoming obstacles to start a new business, that dream to build something of her own came true when she opened Something Simple Coffee + Sips.
While coffee was at the center of her business, Maldonado said she also wanted to offer other drink options. That idea came after attending an event with her children where one wanted a dirty soda, and another wanted lemonade. Having multiple children, she said she knew she couldn’t stand in line for multiple vendors — and didn’t want other parents to face that same dilemma.
“I wanted everything to be easy and to have something for everyone,” Maldonado said.
Her menu includes cold brews like caramel, sweet cream, mocha and brown sugar, which is her personal favorite. There are also lemonades with flavors like strawberry, peach, blue raspberry, mango and watermelon. For those needing a bit more energy, she offers refreshers that combine peach/pineapple, strawberry/blue raspberry, mango/orange, pineapple/coconut and cherry/lime using the plant-based Lotus energy drink.
Other favorites are her dirty sodas like orange dream, southern Dr. Pepper, vanilla root beer, berry Sprite and the classic dirty Coke. During the fall, she will also add hot drinks like lattes, macchiatos and hot chocolate. But no matter the drink, she said she’s committed to using high-quality, simple ingredients and providing a personalized experience.
That theme of simplicity is also carried over into her sizes and pricing. All of her drinks are 20 ounces and $6, and she said each one is made with one special ingredient: love.
“Even though I might not know you, I’m really pouring love into what I’m about to give you,” she said. “You’re going to be welcomed with a warm smile, a great conversation and a drink that’s easy to order.”
Opening her drink truck has been a true family effort, she said, from her mother helping her get set up as an LLC to her husband playing a role in naming the business.
“I told him I just wanted the name to be something simple,” Maldonado recalled. “As soon as I said the words, he looked at me and was like, ‘That’s it.’”
Her children have also supported her throughout this process. Her older daughters can sometimes be spotted serving customers from the trailer, and the younger ones are her taste testers. She said she’s also received encouragement and help from friends.
“When you have that type of community behind you, it really helps you feel like you have the confidence to do it,” Maldonado said.
While she hasn’t walked this journey alone, Maldonado said it was important that she could manage every aspect of the trailer and business on her own. From the trailer’s plumbing to the electrical system, she wanted to know how to handle it all.
“I didn’t want to be somewhere and wonder how to fix it. I wanted this to be my journey,” she said. “It’s made me that much more proud of where I came from. I can say I did this for myself.”
That knowledge was put to the test the first time she took the trailer to an event. While driving there, she had to swerve to miss a car after it made a hard stop. The trailer swayed, causing several of her items and supplies to fall over, including her espresso machine. While some might have backed out of the event, Maldonado cleaned up the aftermath and made it there — and none of her customers could tell anything had gone wrong.
“In that moment, there was so much that I learned. When you’re opening your own business, you’ll have stuff like that happen,” she said. “There’s a learning opportunity in every single event that you participate in.”
She also hopes her children will learn from her endeavor and see they can think outside of the box.
“I want them to know you don’t have to run with whatever society thinks you should be doing,” Maldonado said. “If you want to open a coffee truck, just do it. You don’t need the approval of everyone else. You’re the one who is going to determine your happiness.”
She’s always looking for new locations to bring the trailer, but she can often be spotted at places like The Preserve, hospitals, school activities and local events. Maldonado will also be at Taste of Hoover in October at Aldridge Gardens. People can also book the mobile coffee trailer for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, festivals, farmer’s markets and school events.
One day, she said she’d love to open a brick-and-mortar coffee and drinks shop in Hoover. But for now, she’s excited to get to know the community and earn their trust with both her and the products.
“My favorite part is when they take a sip and they’re smiling after I handed them a drink I made with love,” she said.
She posts her weekly schedule on the Something Simple Coffee + Sips social media pages. To see the full menu or book the trailer for an event, visit somethingsimplecoffee.com.
