Finding a niche inside the world of coffee has become a tall order, and that tall order has become a Venti in 2025. The diversity of flavors in the industry has evolved into a battle to make something genuinely stand out amongst the sea of tasty options. The steady brewing of new concoctions has made for some fascinating coffee creations. One shop that is fervently pursuing that flavor hunt is a Tucson darling, Espressoul. The flame keeping the heat on high is the owner and visionary behind their tasty drinks, Eris Moldva. She and her partner Derek have been grinding for the better part of the last couple of years to cement their brand. Fortunately, they must have a healthy stock of replacement grinder blades, allowing them to keep up with many fervent fans.
Starting off $30,000 in the hole for a food truck, and on the heels of a conventional employment, Eris endeavored to persevere, despite the odds stacked against her. Running a business means constant challenges, and in hospitality, those challenges double: managing the business side while still showing up with a genuine smile for your guests. In an August social media post, she discusses “hospital visits from stress” as just one hurdle among many. Eris says she makes it all work because she’s hungry for it. “I just think about the big picture; I want my kids to look back at what we did. I want them to see something still beautiful and growing.”
Some of the aforementioned flavors include The Baklava, a pistachio latte, The Persian Persuasion, a caffeine-free option with cardamom, saffron rose, and golden milk, and the AZ Sunrise. These must-haves stand head and shoulders above most, if not all, of the folks trying to do something similar. On how she comes up with some of the more esoteric flavors, Eris says, “I think it’s some kind of superpower? I can taste things in my mind even if I haven’t tasted an ingredient before, and can manifest that flavor profile. These flavors come from the heart.”
Espressoul’s first drinks were served from their coffee truck around four years ago. I found out about the traveling coffee truck at the Tucson Hip Hop Festival in 2022. I was walking around, just looking at what was on offer with no real intent to purchase anything. That was until I saw someone walk past me carrying the most vibrant, phenomenally tasty-looking drink. “Hey, that looks incredible. Where didja get that?” I asked the person with the seemingly glowing drink. They pointed to a cutely decorated yellow truck with a small line out front. This was doubly interesting because none of the other food, drink, or treat trucks and stands even had anyone waiting. Come to find out, both the art on the truck—as well as the mural that adorns the front corner of the seating area in their new brick-and-mortar coffee shop—were hand-painted murals by Eris’s mother, Annahid Khorrami.
My interest genuinely piqued, I hopped in line and checked out the menu. After a brief wait, a sunbeam in the shape of a person poked their head out of the window and greeted me. I asked a couple of questions while her partner in the back put the drink together. Eris immediately struck me as an impossibly genuine person. That kind of genuine “ness” is ineffable and can’t be fabricated. I have been an avid fan of this business concept since and while many are trying to compete and copy their ideas, there is no way to bottle this particular bolt of lightning like Espressoul has.
In May, Espressoul rooted itself in its first brick-and-mortar location on the corner of Wilmot and Lee St. The light color palette of the interior pops with the contrast of green plants, the smiling faces of satisfied guests, and a team serving passionate hospitality akin to the proprietors. People flock to order trendy beverages like strawberry matchas and extravagant drinks like the tiramisu latte served with a cookie bathing in a topping of vegan cold foam. With that in mind, all the drinks at Espressoul are vegan (unless they feature honey), and the cold foam is an innovative housemade recipe. A trip to the pastry case reveals myriad vegan-friendly delights, including the rarely seen vegan baklava—a nod to Eris’ Persian heritage.
Espressoul stands as a testament to Eris and her team’s hard work and creativity, as well as Tucson’s internationally recognized gastronomic status. The menu is a melting pot of flavors and inspiration, allowing visitors to discover something entirely new to their palate. The only thing left to question by this growing business is: will you order your specialty latte with coffee or matcha?
written & photographed by: isaac stockton