Between the projects, homework and exams of her final year at NMSU, Kendra Espiritu also found time to tap into her entrepreneurial spirit and launch her first business venture. 

Espiritu graduated from NMSU in May 2022 with a bachelor's degree in international business and minors in sustainability and management. Three months earlier, she and her family opened the doors to Grounded, a coffee, wine and pizza shop in the heart of Las Cruces. 

Since its opening, Grounded has become a buzzy downtown destination known for its wood-fired sourdough pizzas, hand-crafted coffee drinks, and cozy indoor and outdoor spaces ideal for gathering with others, catching up on work, or retreating from the outside world. 

Its success lies in a business model rooted in Espiritu's family. 

"There are a few things that set us apart from other businesses," she said. "For one, we're genuinely so family-oriented because my entire family and I work here day in and day out. You see us here, and it feels like you're stepping into our home. That's something that's special and can't be replicated. We really want to create connections in our community." 

From its beginning, Grounded has been a family endeavor – one Espiritu, her parents and two siblings had dreamed about for years until they made it a reality. The family's vision began to take shape in 2021 when a storied adobe building at the corner of North Main Street and East Las Cruces Avenue went on the market. 

It was a pivotal time for Espiritu and her family. Her father, a career firefighter, was nearing retirement, and she was preparing to enter her final year at NMSU – all amid a pandemic that had disrupted and altered so many lives. But the location was too perfect to pass up, Espiritu said, and soon, the family bought the building and began putting into motion their plans to create a much-needed space for their community. Within a year, Grounded was up and running. 

Espiritu and her family drew inspiration from coffee shops they visited on their travels. But they gave Grounded a distinct identity with wall-size murals, mid-century décor, comfy couches and chairs, and a menu that mixes coffee shop standards with unique, seasonal items. The result? Customers of all ages flock to this corner in downtown Las Cruces for its Instagrammable food and atmosphere – and, perhaps more significantly, its thriving community spirit, often buoyed by live music, one-of-a-kind retail pop-ups and collaborations, and other special events. 

Espiritu marvels at Grounded's impact over three years. 

"I underestimated how popular it would get and how deeply it would resonate with people," she said. I think I have a moment at least once a week where I'm like, oh, we did this. It's amazing to see how many different groups of people have made Grounded part of their daily lives." 

Espiritu always had a desire to follow her entrepreneurial instincts, but it wasn't until her college experience that led her to realize she could make a career in the service industry. 

"I knew I wanted a career in coffee, but I never thought it was possible," she said. "During my third year at NMSU, I reevaluated what I wanted out of a career and what that could look like. It doesn't have to be conventional if you get a business degree. It just takes looking outside of the box a little bit." 

Today, Grounded employs more than three dozen workers, and Espiritu is working to grow the business. 

"We want to stay true to our identity as a community space and offer things you may not be able to get elsewhere in Las Cruces," she said. "We want to make Grounded a place where people want to learn and grow their careers in coffee, the culinary arts and the service industry."

A version of this story first published in the latest issue of the College of Business Annual Report. Read the issue here.

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/downtown-buzz--alumna-creates-community-around-coffee/s/090aed42-ea9d-4b3b-b9e0-4eb1fa9d309b