Who is Tia Erika?

Erika is the proud daughter of Paraguayan immigrants, raised in a home where culture, resilience, and deep community ties shaped every part of life. For over two decades, she dedicated herself to grassroots organizing and political work, fighting for immigrant rights, education justice, and meaningful change rooted in collective power and care for community.

After years of giving everything to the movement, including a run for public office in Philadelphia, where she earned the distinction of receiving more votes than any Latina candidate in the city's history, Erika reached a breaking point. The constant pace of advocacy led her to step back and begin a deep personal journey of healing. She lost over 100 pounds, reconnected with the land by growing her own food, and returned to the ancestral food traditions that nourish both body and spirit.

That shift wasn't a departure from her values. It was a return to them. A return to home. Today, Erika continues her commitment to justice through a different lens, one centered on wellness, cultural memory, and the everyday rituals that ground us. From baking sourdough (masa madre) to sharing yerba mate the way her family always has, she honors the practices that sustained the generations before her.

Tia Erika's is a family-owned business, built alongside her husband and stepson, whose Caribbean heritage is woven into its heart. Together, they've created something that reflects both sides of their family, with Latin American and Caribbean traditions coming together through coffee, food, and care. What began as Erika's personal journey has grown into a shared family expression of hospitality, culture, and connection.

She proudly carries the title of tía. It reflects how she has always shown up in the world. As a daughter, sister, stepmother, mentor, and organizer, Erika has always been a nurturer, offering care, guidance, and presence in ways that are both personal and deeply rooted in culture. That same spirit shapes everything the family builds together.

This next chapter is about holding space for others to rest, reconnect, and feel at home. So pull up a chair, take a sip, and stay a while. Around here, everyone gets a tía.