One thing many students enjoy before going to school is a sweet treat, usually a caffeinated drink to wake themselves up. Luckily for the students of Downey High School, Brookie Brews, a home-based coffee shop owned by Brooklyn Duran, offers a unique coffee experience by delivering beverages to her customers. Duran has always been fascinated by the art of coffee brewing, a passion that began when she was young. “Since I was in elementary school, I would prepare my family’s coffees after dinner and share my mom’s cup with her, crazy enough, she’d drink her coffee black,” said Duran. Her love for coffee inspired Duran to add her own Brookie twist to it, which led her to create her coffee business, Brookie Brews.
Duran’s business, Brookie Brews, utilizes social media greatly as her customers send her direct messages via Instagram to order. She then makes their beverages and delivers her tasty drinks to her customers. Wondering how Duran keeps up with her schedule, Duran says, “I have a bunch of Post-it notes everywhere to remind me of things I got to get done. My little sister helps a lot with managing orders and keeping them ready for me to align on the business side. We also both run heavily on to-do lists!’’ Aside from running her business, Duran has a tight schedule, as she is currently in her final year of University at Cal State Long Beach, works a part-time job at Starbucks, and is in a geography internship at her school.
Duran’s innovative cafe has done especially well at Downey, serving as a practical way for students to receive their coffee fix of the day. Kate Marquez, a 12th grader at Downey High, says, “Going to coffee shops such as Starbucks is more time-consuming because I live in another city, so I wake up earlier because of morning traffic. Having the accessibility of brookie brews is really helpful because I don’t have to worry about waking up earlier and getting to school on time, because I have the convenience of getting it straight from school.” Brookie Brews serves as an inspiration for other young entrepreneurs, due to its quick success shortly after its opening in June 2025. Duran’s words of wisdom to fellow entrepreneurs are, “The advice I would give young entrepreneurs is to give yourself up to God and start putting all your trust in Him. Even if it’s little steps at a time, if you can’t trust in Him, how can you trust in yourself to get where you want to be? There’s something out there for everyone, it’s just a matter of finding your gift given to you, something you’re truly passionate about, and running with it!” Duran’s pursuit to create Brookie Brews is motivating, considering her booked schedule, serving as a reminder to many that success is something everybody can achieve when you have the drive to do so. Brookie Brews is a notable business that represents the future of businesses, especially coffee shops
