After working more than a decade in the financial industry, Claudia Rocabado discovered a new direction in her life and opened La Roseta Café in St. Augustine.
Tell us about La Roseta Cafe. What inspired it?
La Roseta was born from my love for European café culture and the idea that some of life’s most beautiful moments happen over something as simple as a cup of coffee.
I’ve always been drawn to places that make you feel something. The little cafés tucked away on European streets, the beautiful details, the flowers, the pastries, the way people seem to slow down and genuinely enjoy being present.
I wanted to bring a little piece of that feeling to St. Augustine. But more than anything, I wanted to create a space where people feel welcome, inspired and connected. A place where you can come alone with a book, meet your girlfriends for coffee, celebrate something special or simply take a moment for yourself.
Every little detail of La Roseta was intentional, from the colors and flowers to the drinks we create. It’s romantic, a little whimsical and very much a reflection of who I am.
Tell us about your background, especially as it applies to your career.
My professional background is actually in the financial industry. I spent over a decade building my career in operations and eventually became an operations manager. I also have a bachelor’s degree in global business administration.
The financial industry is a completely different world from owning a café, but I think that experience taught me so much about leadership, managing people, solving problems and building something that works beyond just having a beautiful idea.
In January 2024, I was laid off, and around that same time, I was entering a completely new chapter of my life as a mother of twins. Sometimes life has a funny way of redirecting you.
My husband and I actually met in the restaurant industry 13 years ago, and somewhere along the way, I discovered how much I loved the creative side of hospitality. The branding, the experience, the food, the atmosphere and especially the people. So, I always wanted to have my own restaurant and café one day.
I own The Roost Rotisserie Chicken & Latin Cuisine; that business, along with La Roseta, gave me the opportunity to combine my business background with a creative side of myself that I hadn’t really had the chance to explore professionally.
And I think that’s one of the most beautiful things about life. You can spend years becoming really good at something and still discover an entirely new passion.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I don’t think I’ve had a typical day in a very long time!
I’m a mom of twins, a wife and a business owner, so most days are a combination of organized chaos, coffee and a very long to-do list.
Some mornings I’m working on new menu ideas, others I’m rearranging flowers, taking pictures of drinks, meeting with local partners, helping behind the counter or figuring out a problem that wasn’t on my schedule.
I am very hands-on, especially when it comes to the creative direction of La Roseta. I care about the smallest details, sometimes probably a little too much.
And then I go home and get to be Mom, which is a completely different kind of busy.
It’s exhausting at times, but it’s also incredibly fulfilling. I get to build something I love while raising my children, and I don’t take that for granted.
What do you like best about what you do?
Without a doubt, the people.
There’s something incredibly special about watching strangers walk into a place that once existed only in your imagination and seeing them fall in love with it. I love seeing friends catch up over coffee, people celebrating birthdays, someone sitting quietly enjoying a pastry, or guests taking pictures because they find something beautiful in a space I created. Those moments mean more to me than people probably realize.
I also love the creative freedom. I can wake up with an idea for a drink, a collaboration or an event and actually bring it to life.
But I think what I love most is knowing that, even in a small way, we’re becoming part of people’s everyday lives and memories.
Are you from this area originally?
I’m originally from Cuba, and I came to the United States almost 15 years ago. Wow, it feels unreal how fast time flies.
Coming to this country changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. I arrived with dreams, ambition and the hope of building a beautiful future. St. Augustine eventually became home, and I can’t imagine a more fitting place to bring La Roseta to life. There’s something about this city that feels almost European to me. The history, the architecture, the little streets and the sense of charm everywhere you look.
It felt like the perfect setting for the kind of café I had always imagined.
What do you like best about living here?
I love that St. Augustine has so much character.
It’s a city with history, charm, beautiful architecture and a wonderful sense of community. There is something special about living somewhere that people travel from all over the world to experience.
But what I’ve come to appreciate most, especially since opening La Roseta, is the local community.
There are so many talented, creative, hardworking people here building beautiful businesses and supporting one another.
I visit other local coffee shops myself, and I genuinely admire what each of them brings to our city. I think there’s room for all of us to create something special.
And as a mother, I love the idea of raising my children somewhere with such a strong sense of place and community.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Free time? What’s that?
I’m joking, but between two businesses and two toddlers, there isn’t a whole lot of it these days.
When I do have time, I love spending it with my husband and our twins, exploring little places, visiting cafés, finding inspiration and enjoying the simple things.
I also genuinely love creating. Whether it’s photography, styling a space, discovering a new brand or dreaming up another idea, my mind rarely switches off. I think creativity has become both my work and my hobby.
And sometimes, my favorite thing is simply sitting down with a really good coffee and not having anywhere I need to be.
What would you like our readers to know about La Roseta Cafe?
I would love for people to know that La Roseta is so much more than a coffee shop to me.
It’s a dream that became a reality, built with a lot of love, hard work and attention to detail.
We’re a small, independently owned café, and we put so much thought into the experience we create, from our specialty coffees and matcha to our pastries, brunch and collaborations with other local businesses.
I want La Roseta to be a place that encourages people to slow down a little. To celebrate the ordinary days, to make time for the people they love and to find beauty in the little things. You don’t need a special occasion to make a beautiful memory.
And if you haven’t visited us yet, I hope you’ll come see what we’ve created.
