Meet Leticia Hutchins | Co-Owner of Alma Coffee
Leticia Hutchins, Co-Owner of Alma Coffee, plays a vital role behind the scenes of the brand. From shaping day-to-day operations to overseeing communication, organization, and storytelling, her work helps define how Alma connects with its community. With a deep appreciation for thoughtful conversation and transparency, Leticia brings a personal, intentional approach to everything she touches at both Alma Coffee and Finca T.
This is the story of how her experiences, values, and path led her to where she is today.
Chapter 1: The Kid Who Never Stayed Still
Leticia Hutchins was born in Chicago as the oldest of two siblings, and Spanish was her first language. More defining than where she was born, however, was how often she moved growing up. Before turning 18, she never lived in one place for longer than four years.
Her childhood moves followed this path:
Chicago → Tennessee → Mexico → Florida → Costa Rica → Georgia → New York → Georgia → Chicago → Georgia
Living in so many places taught her how to adapt quickly, how to observe before jumping in, and how to build community wherever she landed. It also taught her something equally important. Some places feel like home, and some do not.
Costa Rica stands out as her favorite place she ever lived. Those two years were filled with adventure, nature, freedom, and discovery. On the opposite end of the spectrum was upstate New York. While the people and culture were beautiful, it never quite felt aligned. Even at a young age, Leticia learned to recognize when something simply was not the right fit.
Chapter 2: Asking Too Many Questions (and Meaning It)
That early sense of conviction showed up in other ways, too.
At four years old, Leticia had baby chicks as pets and adored them. The idea of eating them was devastating, which led her to ask questions about where meat comes from. Once she understood the answer, she made a firm decision to stop eating it altogether.
She remains the only vegetarian in her Hispanic family, surrounded by many meat lovers, which feels very on brand for her life.
A Sagittarius through and through, Leticia has always been independent, strong-willed, and deeply curious. She questioned everything and never accepted “because that’s just how it is” as an answer. Her parents were reminded of this often, especially around the dinner table.
Chapter 3: Dolphin Trainer, Accountant, Something in Between
As a kid, her independence and love for animals turned into a very specific dream. She was convinced she would move to Australia and become a dolphin trainer. At 13, this plan felt perfectly reasonable, driven by a love for dolphins and a desire to explore the world far from home.
With time came realism. Dolphin training was not exactly aligned with her strengths. She was not particularly athletic, coordinated, or agile. So she pivoted in a very different direction: accounting.
While accounting was not a passion, it made sense. Her dad studied accounting, she looked up to him deeply, and he built a stable and fulfilling life through that career. It was also a practical choice. Accountants are always needed, in good times and bad.
Chapter 4: Art Class and a Boy Named Harry
Somewhere along the way, Leticia met a boy named Harry.
They shared an art class their freshman year of high school, though they barely noticed each other at first. Leticia was focused on school and friends, while Harry was locked in on basketball and cross country.
Everything changed sophomore year.
At their tiny school of just 19 students per grade, they ended up as the only two students in Honors Geometry. Every group project became a shared one, and a small high school crush slowly turned into something lasting. Nearly 15 years later, that partnership is still going strong.
After graduation, they decided to move to Chicago to pursue accounting careers. They wanted to be together while maintaining independence, so they lived seven miles apart, attended different schools, and chose intentionally when to spend time together. For them, it was the perfect balance.
Chapter 5: When Coffee Became the Plot Twist
College eventually gave way to careers at competing Big 4 accounting firms, both working in advisory roles. As exciting as spreadsheets and cubicles can be, bigger conversations began to surface about expanding a generational coffee legacy.
That is when Alma Coffee was born.
Starting Alma revealed a lot about Leticia’s strengths and weaknesses. She thrives behind the scenes in organization, management, writing, marketing, software implementation, and the day-to-day rhythms that keep a business moving forward. Long-term vision, financial strategy, and sales, ironically given her accounting background, are not where she shines.
Thankfully, those strengths are exactly where Harry excels. Together, they balance each other perfectly.
Final Chapter: A Few Fun Facts
To round things out, here are a few things to know about Leticia:
- Pasta is her favorite food, no competition.
- Free time is spent cooking, baking, and watching scary movies.
- Music is not a big part of her life, but a good murder mystery podcast always is.
- Deep one-on-one conversations are preferred, while public speaking is not. You will rarely see her addressing a crowd.
- She is not good at a single sport.
- Animals have always had her heart, especially cats.
From generational roots to intentional growth, Alma Coffee is built on stories, people, and purpose. Leticia’s journey is woven into every part of that mission. Bring that story home with you. Discover Alma Coffee’s roasts and enjoy coffee crafted with care, from farm to cup.
