Hijau Coffee brought coffee news to San Jose on Saturday Sep 5, opening its grand opening as Silicon Valley’s first Indonesian coffee shop. Customers in Midtown San Jose now have a new option at 1432 W San Carlos St Suite 70.
Founder Lisa Maria said, "We are Silicon Valley’s first Indonesian coffee shop." She also said, "We serve Indonesian-origin beans and Indonesian-inspired flavors in our drink menu, such as the popular pandan latte."
Lisa Maria and West Java
Maria grew up in West Java, Indonesia, and was raised by parents who ran their own small coffee business. Hijau started as a coffee pop-up at farmers market before moving into the San Jose storefront.
She said, "Hijau was born out of a shared passion to bring the vibrant, rich culinary heritage of Indonesia to the Bay Area specialty coffee scene." She also said, "A way to connect to our own heritage and family roots and to introduce them to the world."
W San Carlos St Suite 70
The shop occupies a former Starbucks location at a busy intersection in Midtown San Jose, which gives the opening a practical edge: the same corner now serves a different coffee program, with Indonesian-origin beans and flavors instead of a familiar chain setup.
Hijau imported most of the space’s furnishings, including tables, chairs, shelving, wall decors, custom batik tiles, and handmade ceramics. It also upcycled batik stamps for wall decors, and it uses a La Marzocco Strada three-group with a custom green color.
Bay Area and Indonesia
Hijau served Sumatra Takengon and Bali Kintamani, and it offered for here cups and reusable water cups. Maria said, "We welcome everyone in their different stages of coffee journey and win by providing hospitality, craft, and consistency in what we do."
The opening adds a direct Bay Area and Indonesia connection in a retail space that was already built for coffee service. The unanswered practical question is how much it cost to convert the former Starbucks into Hijau Coffee.
