About Us

Java Mama Cafe was dreamed up over five years ago by a new mother, desperate for a place to hang-out that was welcoming to kids. That dream is finally becoming a reality with the opening of Java Mama Cafe in La Mesa, California.

Owner Alicia Campen came up with the idea of Java Mama after the birth of her daughter. In the early months she was able to bring her daughter to the local coffeehouse to get some freelance work done. While the baby slept peacefully by her side, Alicia typed away on her laptop, sipped an iced coffee and enjoyed being out of the house and in the company of other adults. Once the baby grew older and became more active, it became harder for the young child to be still for long periods of time - making visits to the coffeehouse shorter and shorter. Alicia dreamed of a place where she could enjoy her coffee, get some work done, and have someone help watch her child for an hour or two. The supervised play area would be part of the coffeehouse, where Alicia could work while comfortably keeping an eye on the people watching her daughter. This place would welcome not just parents, but anyone who appreciated great coffee drinks, tasty bites to eat, and a warm, refined atmosphere. It would accommodate the active parent by providing plenty of workspace, power outlets for laptops, and free WiFi.

The idea evolved to include a large kid's play area that is open for play all day for children five and under. During certain hours of the day, the play area will be staffed by qualified providers who will supervise children for a small fee while parents work, read, chat with friends, or take one of Java Mama's many excellent classes geared for both adults and children alike.

We hope you will find Java Mama as exciting as we do!