A retrofitted 1959 Airstream camper remains parked on Nojoqui Avenue in Los Olivos, right next to a historic Victorian home. The vehicle, dubbed The Caravan, is a fully fledged coffee shop, appointed with a classic espresso machine, a gigantic ice maker, and cooking appliances.
“It’s like the cutest thing ever,” co-owner Alyce Barrick said.
Caravaning
Queen Cup Coffee’s Airstream café is located at 2900 Nojoqui Ave. in Los Olivos. The Caravan opens daily at 7 a.m., closing at 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Find more information at queencupcoffee.com and on Instagram @queencupcoffee.
Just steps away from the ordering window, Adirondack chairs and a couple of outdoor furniture sets wait for customers to sip on espresso beverages or munch on breakfast burritos under the shade of the café’s wishing tree.
Anyone can write a message on a ribbon—something they want to manifest—and tie it on like a leaf. The community has been receptive to the idea, creating a fluttering rainbow of wishes on the branches.
The wishing tree is one way Alyce and her husband, Skyler, try to make their business, Queen Cup Coffee, welcoming to all. Alyce is also a founding member of Santa Ynez Valley Pride, so her primary goal is cultivating a safe space wherever she goes.
“Where The Caravan is now in Los Olivos, we’re really trying to bring up a very whimsical, peaceful garden,” she said.
Queen Cup Coffee acquired The Caravan more than a year ago and originally stationed it in Los Alamos three days a week. It was a supplement to the Barricks’ original coffee shop in Santa Ynez, inside a building shared with the restaurant Lucky Hen Larder. Now, five years after opening Queen Cup, the duo feels they’ve outgrown the space.
The Santa Ynez location wasn’t meant to be their forever spot, Alyce explained, and on Jan. 31, Queen Cup served its last customers there. The business will move forward full time with The Caravan in Los Olivos.
Nothing has changed for the café besides its location, but it’s still an emotional move. Alyce remembers starting the business with Skyler as “pandemic babies” in early 2021, a crazy idea at an unpredictable time, she admitted. They relied on each other and work well together professionally because they met as coworkers in LA before returning to Skyler’s native Santa Ynez Valley.
The decision to move the mobile coffee stand to Los Olivos was driven by the town’s foot traffic. With such a robust food and wine scene, the Barricks felt the area was missing a caffeine kick.
“We are so busy between the hours of 2 and 5 [p.m.] because everybody has concluded their wine tasting for the day, or they’re getting ready to go to dinner, and then that’s when they need their afternoon pick-me-up,” Alyce said.
And The Caravan’s not offering a basic pick-me-up, either. As hinted in the name Queen Cup, Alyce and Skyler sell what they describe as “proper coffee,” a little more elevated and sophisticated with a vibe similar to high tea.
They do it with ethically sourced, local beans and homemade syrups like vanilla, lavender, and salty scotch, named after Salty, their 10-year-old white Maltese.
“I don’t believe in pumps. I don’t believe in powders,” Alyce said. “It’s got to be real, so it’s very, very fine crafted.”
Queen Cup isn’t just about coffee, though. Two breakfast burritos are constantly on the menu: one with chorizo and one veggie. Even after downsizing in square footage to The Caravan, they added another snack called a “squaffle” to their list.
“It’s basically the inside yummy dough of a croissant that we put on a waffle maker, and just heat that thing up,” Alyce said. “It smells like melted butter and sugar. It’s really dangerous.”
The Caravan is open daily in Los Olivos, run by about eight staffers who Alyce views as her kids, though her own daughter works there, too. Alyce views the group as tight-knit, and in a lot of ways they’re like family.
The Barricks have been around for employees’ high school graduations, school performances, and other milestones. Some have a book club together, and the Queen Cup Instagram account shares posts for staff members’ birthdays.
“I’ve always wanted to ensure that our staff is recognized, seen, supported,” Alyce said. “We’ve ingrained ourselves into each other’s lives.”
Skyler, the head espresso brewer, also enjoys running Queen Cup’s mobile coffee cart, La Petite Reine. It pops up by request to cater events, parties, and weddings. That’s where you’ll find a true Skyler cappuccino, Alyce’s favorite.
Throughout their café’s evolution, the Barricks have been leaning on each other for support and using coffee to spread a message of acceptance and belonging. Alyce said she had no idea what was going to happen five years ago, which is still how she feels about the future.
But for now, she invites the community to hop on The Caravan.
Staff Writer Madison White is always in the mood for a cappuccino. Send one to mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in February 5 – February 12, 2026.