The History of Old Cal Coffee –
Waking up San Marcos since 1990

Long before the big chain coffee houses moved here, a little coffee house – not much more than a stand opened up in Restaurant Row. It had one employee and limited hours. Soon the place was hopping and locals were lining up to order drinks not usually found outside of Seattle, at the little coffee house, then known as Mocha Marketplace.

Fast forward thru the years, several remodels/expansions and a name change to Old California Coffee House & Eatery, the once little coffee house now has about a dozen full-time employees, lots of seating, and is open for 13+ hours each day, seven days a week.

A lot has changed over the years, but we still remain committed to providing the finest quality locally roasted coffees and ingredients that we always have. We’ve added a more diverse café food menu with a few “vegetarian” and “vegan” selections. The comfort of sofas and chairs to lounge in, access to free wireless internet and board/card games, Old Cal Coffee has become a huge draw for business professionals and students alike. Nightly, we light the fire pits for cozy gatherings!

Our Goals include being a haven from the hard, sterile cookie-cutter atmosphere of the corporate coffee house and offer a respite from the hectic, frenzied pace of life. We strive to preserve the legacy of the coffee house as a place of community – a place to meet friends, hang out and relax, have stimulating conversations, listen to music, read, study, draw, write poetry, meet with business associates, enjoy the local flavor, while providing great food, coffee and gelato.