The green tile catches the light first. Then the oak bar with its basket-weave pattern, carved to echo Indonesian woodwork. Bamboo pendant lights hang above batik textiles draped on the walls. In the corner, handmade ceramics from Yogyakarta potters wait to hold something warm.
This is Hijau Coffee, which opened on in San Jose, California. The space used to be a Starbucks.
Starbucks gutted pretty much everything before they left and left only a three-compartment sink in the kitchen and restrooms. So we had to build the cafe from the ground up.
Lisa Maria, Co-founder
What they built is not a cafe that happens to serve Indonesian coffee. It is, in Maria's words, "a cultural encounter of Indonesia for people in San Jose and the Bay Area, and for them to learn about Indonesian culture and heritage."
What Sofia's Cafe Culture Might Ask Itself
Sofia has a growing specialty coffee scene: DABOV, Chucky's, Kometa, Fabrika Daga. But how many of these spaces tell a story about origin, craft, and cultural intention the way Hijau does?
What would it mean for a Sofia cafe to root itself so deliberately in a single origin, to design every surface and every drink around a coherent cultural narrative?
The Founders Who Are From the Origin
Lisa Maria moved to the United States from West Java for college in 2007. Her husband, Ryan Prawiradjaja, was born in Jakarta and moved to the U.S. in 1999. After losing her tech-startup job about three years ago, Maria began pursuing a coffee business rooted in her family history.
They co-founded Hijau in early 2024, building a following through South Bay farmers markets and pop-ups before taking over the former Starbucks space at 1432 W. San Carlos St., Suite 70, in San Jose.
Founders who are from the origin they represent bring something that cannot be manufactured. The design choices, the drink recipes, the food menu: none of it is borrowed or approximated. It is remembered.
Design as Storytelling
The oak-fronted bar features a basket-weave pattern inspired by Indonesian woodwork, curving into a section lined with Hijau's signature green tile. Bamboo and rattan pendant lights illuminate the space. Furnishings combine work by local artisans with pieces imported from Indonesia.
Every surface communicates something.
Flavor Translation, Not Fusion
The signature drinks at Hijau are translations, not fusion experiments.
The Nastar Latte is inspired by Indonesian pineapple tarts. The Klepon Latte draws on the flavors of klepon, a glutinous rice cake traditionally filled with palm sugar. The seasonal Wedang Latte combines coconut sugar, ginger, and lemongrass.
We translate these flavors into drink recipes. We also do seasonal drinks such as the upcoming Wedang Latte made of coconut sugar, ginger and lemongrass that is perfect for cooler weather.
Lisa Maria
Преводът запазва душата на оригинала, докато говори на нов език.
Single-Origin Sourcing and Craft Equipment
Hijau serves exclusively single-origin Indonesian coffees selected by Maria and Prawiradjaja, roasted in collaboration with Santa Clara-based Barefoot Coffee.
The equipment reflects the same intentionality:
A custom green three-group La Marzocco Strada S AV espresso machine
Two Mahlkönig E80W Grind-by-Sync grinders with Puqpress automatic tampers
A Mahlkönig EK43 for batch brewing and cold brew
A Mazzer Philos for single-dose pourovers
The food menu includes locally made pastries and jajan pasar, Indonesian market snacks: putu ayu, a pandan sponge cake topped with grated coconut, and pastel ayam, a savory pastry filled with chicken.
What This Means for Sofia
In the future we hope to showcase and draw interest from other coffee shops and roasters in the Bay Area, or even in the U.S., to feature more Indonesian coffee.
Lisa Maria
The grand opening on featured a Balinese dance performance and a live gamelan performance. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan attended. The cafe became, for a moment, a cultural sanctuary.
What would it mean for Sofia to do the same for origins it is already connected to? Ethiopian coffees, Kenyan coffees, Central American coffees: these are places with stories, traditions, and people. Hijau offers one answer: root yourself in origin, design with intention, translate with care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What makes Hijau Coffee different from other specialty coffee shops?
A: Hijau serves exclusively single-origin Indonesian coffees and designs every element of the space, from the oak bar with Indonesian woodwork patterns to the handmade Yogyakarta ceramics, around a coherent cultural narrative. The founders are from Indonesia, which brings authenticity to the cultural translation.
Q: What are the signature drinks at Hijau Coffee?
A: The signature drinks include the Nastar Latte inspired by Indonesian pineapple tarts, the Klepon Latte based on a palm sugar-filled rice cake, pandan lattes, and the seasonal Wedang Latte made with coconut sugar, ginger, and lemongrass.
Q: Where is Hijau Coffee located and when did it open?
A: Hijau Coffee is located at 1432 W. San Carlos St., Suite 70, in San Jose, California. It opened on 5 September 2026 in a former Starbucks location that the founders rebuilt from the ground up.
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