SUPERPOWER: Yin and yang
Co-Owners, Steaming Cup Cafe
Sisters Lolbe and Mileny Brito always find a way of meeting in the middle. They may not always see eye to eye, but they always have each other’s backs. Originally from Los Angeles, the Brito sisters were raised by a single mom. Mileny made her way to West Virginia roughly 15 years ago for a job opportunity, and Lolbe joined her about five years ago.
Mileny and her husband opened a restaurant, Las Fajitas Mexican Grill, in Ravenswood. Locals embraced the restaurant, and Mileny knew the Jackson County town had more potential to unlock. She and Lolbe, as longtime coffee lovers themselves, decided to fill the need for folks to get their caffeine fix.
“We are self-taught,” Lolbe says. “We had zero experience, zero background in coffee. But we love coffee and we’re picky about it.” Together, they started taste-testing and researching to launch their cafe. While working full-time as waitresses at the restaurant, they kept researching together, even when it meant sacrificing sleep. “We would get off work and start learning how to work the espresso machine,” Mileny says. “Sometimes we were up until 3 a.m.”
After a lot of hard work, Steaming Cup Cafe opened for business in 2021. Lolbe is the social butterfly, while Mileny handles the detail-oriented work behind the scenes. Their food menu is inspired by the L.A. dishes they loved. Everything is taste-tested and approved by both sisters, even if they had to make compromises with one another along the way. “It’s all made with love, and a lot of thought and commitment,” Lolbe says. “We bump heads, but it all works out.”
The sisters say they love Ravenswood, especially the small-town feel and the regulars who have supported their small businesses. “I think people really appreciate the work that we put into it. We want the coffee shop to keep thriving,” Mileny says. “I hope we’re inspiring other people to open their own businesses. You never know if you’re going to be successful if you don’t try it.”
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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
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