Government Hill’s newest coffee shop, Dripping Zebra, opened its doors in early February. It’s the latest venture of Diego Romo and Andrea Cuevas Mendoza, the couple behind the popular downtown brunch spot Palmeira Tropical Fusion.
Both originally from Guadajara, Mexico, Romo and Cuevas Mendoza first met in Anchorage while working in the restaurant industry in 2019. Cuevas Mendoza originally came to Alaska in pursuit of temporary work following her father, who has long worked as a fisherman here. She said she “fell in love with the summer,” and shortly after, fell for Romo.
Romo is a serial entrepreneur who previously launched several food ventures in Mexico, and originally planned to return there. But after COVID closures, Romo decided to sell his Guadalajara-based nightclub and stay in Alaska. Shortly after, friends of theirs invited them to take over a vacant unit downtown, and Romo and Cuevas Mendoza dove into designing Palmeira.
When the couple began developing the restaurant’s concept, they said they were missing the beach. Palmeira’s cuisine is reminiscent of what you might find at an oceanside cabana on Mexico’s Pacific coast — aguachile, ceviche and ice cold micheladas. They rounded out the menu with other classic Mexican dishes, like chilaquiles and cinnamon-infused cafe de olla.
Cuevas Mendoza said when the restaurant launched, “we thought it was going to be small for a long time.” But, things took off much more quickly than either anticipated, and by the second week they were maxing out their capacity.
Soon demand was strong enough for the business to grow into a next door unit, doubling its size. Now, Palmeira’s success has spurred a new coffee shop on Government Hill: Dripping Zebra.
Romo said that originally they were working with A-Town Coffee, the coffee shop’s previous owner, to roast coffee beans for their café de olla. But, when A-Town’s owner offered to sell them the roastery — and then the adjacent storefront — the couple jumped at the opportunity.
Like Palmeira, Dripping Zebra’s menu is inspired by Romo and Cuevas Mendoza’s cravings — regional Mexican dishes that aren’t readily available in Anchorage. Anchored by their signature café de olla, the menu also features croissants filled with dulce de leche and vanilla cream.
The Dripping Zebra also features the vibrant design that has come to define the couple’s endeavors. Romo’s father is an architect, and his family has a long background in construction. When remodeling the coffee shop, Romo said, “we had to get creative with what we have on our hands.”
Romo built the chairs, tables, and benches that furnish the coffee shop, while Cuevas Mendoza sewed much of the decor by hand, from the shop’s colorful throw pillows to its emerald fringe lamps.
The couple said that while the rapid growth of their ventures has been “surprising and challenging,” they’ve been lucky to be supported by many family members and friends. Despite the learning curve, Cuevas Mendoza said, “it’s been a big feeling of satisfaction.”
Kaitlin Armstrong is an Anchorage-based writer and audio producer. She hosts The Alaska Myth, a podcast about the myths that shape how Alaskans view our history and ourselves.