Today we’d like to introduce you to Selina Máté.
Hi Selina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We started Peculiar Coffee Co. in May 2025. I knew that I wanted to open a coffee shop after falling in love with coffee on a trip to Guatemala at 15. Every year that passed, I would day dream and journal about my future shop. When we moved home to Lansing, Michigan in 2023, we started a plan to grow roots in the city that I grew up in. After viewing a few brick & mortar shops, something felt off – it didn’t feel like the path we were meant to take at that time. I had followed a fellow Michigan coffee shop for years (Hazel Coffee Co.) and remembered that they were once a mobile shop. We researched mobile coffee shops and caterers in Lansing and could not find one, so we knew there was a gap in our market. That’s when the mobile concept for Peculiar Coffee Co. was born.
Over the last year, we have served incredible clients and built a solid following in our city and around Michigan. We have catered for companies like Kendra Scott, the State Bar of Michigan, Michigan State University, and more. Clients have welcomed us into their baby showers, weddings, and other types of celebrations. While building our catering side of Peculiar, we have also grown a community at 3 local farmers markets in our city. We have folks who make it out every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday just to grab coffee from us. It’s very surreal and we are incredible grateful.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The idea of Peculiar Coffee Co. has evolved from a 15-year-olds day dream to an actual operating business. The road has been relatively smooth for us, but intentionally so. When I set out to become an entrepreneur I knew one thing – I didn’t want to make the mistakes that I don’t have to. I sought out mentorship from day 1 and the assistance of our local entrepreneurial support organizations like LEAP. The struggles that we have faced have been because owning and growing a business isn’t easy…period. Regardless of the structure you have, it is a brave thing to do. That comes with inherent challenges.
Additionally, I have grown Peculiar while maintaining my full-time job. I actually had 2 full-time jobs and 2 contract gigs when we launched. That comes with its own struggle and forces time management.
The final struggle that comes to mind is educating our customers. We are the only coffee cart in Lansing and that comes with educating clients on the possibilities that we offer. It’s not everyday that your event has a full-service coffee shop right inside. We bring the coffee shop to any office, celebration, or space. We have spent a good deal of time and outreach teaching Lansing what’s possible now that we are here.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Peculiar Coffee Co. is a mobile espresso catering cart in Lansing, Michigan. We are based in Lansing, but travel all over Michigan for events. We specialize in exceptional customer service and excellent coffee. Our syrups are house made, our cart is customizable, and we offer a bespoke coffee experience. We strive to be known for being the kindest baristas and team you’ll ever work with. In a day and age where the customer service industry seems to have lost its touch, we double down on excellent service. Our baristas learn names, they make eye contact, and act like our customers are the most important people in the room…because they are! We are a woman, immigrant, and queer owned business. We are most proud of our reputation of kindness and being “the best latte in Lansing” as many of our customers put it. We want readers to know that we travel all over Michigan with our coffee cart and customer service. From Lansing to Detroit to the Thumb and the UP – we can be there!
Pricing:
- Packages start at $400
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peculiarcoffeeco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peculiarcoffee.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peculiarcoffee.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/106816097/admin/dashboard/
