Meet Connie Alvarenga | Fior Di Latte Co-Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Connie Alvarenga and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Connie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Our idea for starting our own business began in the midst of the pandemic. Before this my husband Steven and I loved traveling abroad, so when the pandemic hit and travel was no longer an option, we started thinking of ways that we could bring unique travel-related experiences to our hometown. We initially started by renting out our vintage airstream to locals, so they could experience travel in a safe and secluded way during lockdown. As we moved forward and out of the pandemic, we kept thinking of ways to evolve our business and really bring the experiences we gained through travel to Long Beach. Whichever direction our concept went, our minds always went back to the different cultures we enjoyed learning about and the different flavors we tried – specifically the varieties of charcuterie and cheeses around the world. This is when the concept for Fior Di Latte blossomed. We ultimately decided to create a charcuterie/cheese shop that offered a fusion of flavors from different countries with ingredients sourced both locally and globally. However, we wanted to focus on one country at a time to really educate our customers and highlight the artisanal techniques region to region.

Fast forward to 2023, and we now have a quaint, brick-and-mortar charcuterie/cheese shop called Fior Di Latte in the heart of our local food hall at The Hangar at Long Beach Exchange. At our store our customers are able to choose from a selection of charcuterie boxes daily, enjoy grab and go portions of artisan cheeses and place orders for larger cuts of specialty cheeses (half a pound or more). Keeping our initial goal in mind, we carefully crafted a charcuterie box menu that includes locally sourced artisanal ingredients, made with international techniques – along with our latest “Flavors Abroad” box – which features a rotating selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie from a different country every month.

What we are trying to achieve with our shop is to not only give our customers the experience of new, unique flavors, but to also educate them on the origin and culture of each product we carry, the techniques used and connect them to each of our artisan partners – giving them a chance to virtually meet them.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Getting to where we are today, business-wise was a bit of a journey. Both Steven and I come from humble upbringings with our parents migrating from their native countries at a young age. We are both first-generation college students with degrees in Finance (Steven) and Public Relations (myself) from California State University, Long Beach. I think what sets us apart is the drive and determination we have to succeed, along with the experiences we have both gained throughout life and our eagerness to bring something different to our community. While our store is up and running now, we are constantly thinking of ways to evolve what we are doing to really accomplish what we set out to do. The skills we each bring to the table have also been a great help with starting our own business – Steven focuses on all financial aspects, while I focus on our marketing/public relations efforts.We are proud of what we have achieved so far, but are even more excited for all that we are working towards. 

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Okay so when visiting Long Beach for a week-long trip, I would highly recommend visiting Long Beach Exchange on the first night. The Hangar Food Hall within LBX has a variety of eateries, an awesome brewery, (our charcuterie/cheese shop), restaurants, shopping and hosts bi-weekly events in the outdoor lawn area. It’s also located across the street from the Courtyard Hotel and is a two-minute drive to the local airport. The Pike, 2nd street in Belmont Shore and 4th street in Long Beach are also must visit areas during a week long trip. These areas are lined with quaint shops, restaurants and some historical attractions.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We have been in business just about 6 months now and we are so grateful for all of our amazing customers that we’ve had the opportunity of connecting with, our artisan partners that helped us bring our concept to life and the Long Beach Exchange community who have been very supportive along the way.

While entrepreneurship can be very rewarding, it also comes with a lot of hurdles, especially during the first year in business. My husband Steven and I are so thankful for our family – especially my in-laws, who have been there every step of the way to help us with our little one, who constantly give us their unconditional love, support and the best advice.

Website: FiorDiLatte.Shop

Instagram: Instagram.com/fiordilatte.cheeseshop

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fior-di-latte-long-beach

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Branen Fitzgerald