Axel
A loan of $15,000 helps a hardworking pair of Puerto Rican bartenders launch a restaurant and accomplish their dream!
Axel's story
My name is Axel, and together with my partner, we are two lifelong bartenders and hospitality professionals from Puerto Rico. For over 16 years, we’ve worked day and night in the gastronomy industry, earning just four dollars an hour while chasing tips and better opportunities. Every dollar we’ve saved and every ounce of effort is now being poured into our dream.
We are opening Coctelera 985, a modern cocktail bar and tapas lounge in Carolina, Puerto Rico. This is more than a business — it’s our life’s dream. We want to create a welcoming space where locals and the community can connect, share culture, and feel at home.
We’re committed to mentoring others and creating opportunities. We want to put Carolina back on the map and show that Carolina natives have the talent to shine. That’s why we’re taking the leap — signing a five-year lease of nearly six thousand dollars a month — while still keeping our bartending jobs to sustain ourselves during this venture. What drives us is not just profit, but impact.