Hybrid coffee shop debuts in Rohnert Park with Sonoma County-sourced beer, wine and food

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A Rohnert Park couple said they always dreamt of opening a shop to offer the coffee drinks they love in the neighborhood where they grew up and still live and work.

In March, Darlene and Ruben Sandoval's dream finally came true … with a twist: They opened Sandpino's, a hybrid coffee shop that also offers local beer and wine.

"We love coffee," Darlene said. "We noticed that there was a lack of mom-and-pop coffee shops in Rohnert Park."

Sandpino's had a successful opening night. Ruben said the more than 300 people who packed the space gave their full love and support to the couple's new business venture.

"(It was) absolutely amazing," he said. "You couldn't even walk inside the shop and outside we had so many people out there."

Nathan, the couple's 21-year-old son, is also part of the project. The Sandovals said he helped them develop Sandpinos' concept and menu.

A dream made real

Darlene and Ruben, both 38, didn't start out in the food and beverage industry. In 2018, they founded Numer1cal, a bookkeeping and payroll firm based in Rohnert Park. Lacking a physical office at the time, they scouted the area for a cozy coffee shop to hold meetings but couldn't find one nearby.

When the couple finally moved into an office at a complex at 101 Golf Course Drive, they noticed that a coffee shop named Honey Badger was right next door.

"My husband and I got super excited," Darlene said. "We had no idea that place was there."

But Honey Badger closed in 2024.

"So, my husband jokingly said ‘What if we take over?'," she said. "I thought, ‘There is no way,' but Ruben insisted, ‘What if we do?'."

Opening a coffee shop was a lifelong dream they never expected to come true. However, six months after the Honey Badger space became available, the couple met the landlord and signed the lease.

Darlene said Sandpino's aims to honor their roots: Mexican, Salvadoran and Californian. The Sandovals said they want their new space to feel like a true community infusion, with high-quality coffee and the finest Sonoma County's brews and spirits.

Their furniture, locally sourced from thrift stores, is entirely vintage. Large, ornate gold frames holding still-life paintings line the walls, complemented by heavy wood coffee tables and classic cane dining chairs arranged throughout the shop. For the couple, the goal was to curate a cozy atmosphere that evokes nostalgia.

"(A space) that reminds you of your abuela's house in the '80s," Darlene said. "The coffee shop is a tribute to our roots, our childhood, familia."

China for the shop, including plates, cups and saucers, where found in a Sebastopol thrift store.

Morning brews and afternoon sips

The shop's back patio overlooks the practice green and the ninth hole of the North Course at Foxtail Golf Club, all framed by a backdrop of redwoods. Ruben said they envisioned Sandpino's as an idyllic spot for morning coffee drinkers and a relaxing space for golfers to enjoy a glass of wine in the afternoon.

"We wanted to stay open a little bit longer than 3 p.m.," he said. "We decided to add beer and wine and make a hybrid coffee shop with a tap room vibe."

The Sandovals said it is so important to honor Sonoma County that they refrain from featuring international products or from other counties; they want to bring light to the brewers and wineries where they grew up.

"Everything is within Sonoma County," Ruben said. "We wanted everything to be local, our beers, wine, food."

After consulting with Black Oak Coffee Roasters co-founder and CEO Jon Frech, who helped them create their menu and select the right espresso machine, the couple settled on the Healdsburg-based roaster for their lineup. Alongside traditional espressos and cold brews, they offer a hyper-local chai latte sourced from Sebastopol's Chai Baba.

The curated tap list features prominent Rohnert Park brewers Old Caz Beer and Parliament Brewing Co., alongside Santa Rosa favorites HenHouse and Cooperage Brewing Co.

"We have another tap for Golden State Cider," Darlene said. "Local people love it."

Their menu spans from Pull-Apart Pachos, a plate of nachos with what they call a "Sonoma flair" featuring kettle chips topped with melted Oaxacan cheese and prosciutto, to the Torta de Queso de Puerco, a traditional Mexico City-style sandwich made with head cheese, cheddar and sliced tomatoes.

Darlene said she wanted to pay homage to the salsa made by her uncle, who emigrated from El Salvador during the '80s civil war to the U.S.

"Chips and Tio Marios' Red Salsa is already very popular," she said. "(My uncle) owns restaurants in Utah, and I wanted to bring his fresh red salsa to California."

For breakfast, Sandpino's offers a daily selection of pastries from Don Luis, a Latino-owned bakery in Cotati.

Morning or afternoon, Sandpino's menu features molletes, a Mexican savory favorite. The shop uses Salvadoran red beans and Oaxacan cheese topped with microgreens, a fusion the Sandovals say is part of Sonoma County food culture.

Creating a dream team

About a month before they were set to start barista training at Sandpino's, a friend and Numer1cal bookkeeping client told the Sandovals she had to close her shop, Café Noto, in Windsor.

The couple said Josie Ortega, who also owns Chila-Killer Café in Rohnert Park, dreaded the idea of letting go of her employees. The Sandovals ultimately hired five of the seven people who were facing job losses due to Café Noto's closure.

"They have been instrumental for Sandpino's," Darlene said. "Not only in the coffee recipes but also in the kitchen, exploring food ideas."

Lucas Dillon, the barista team lead, said the transition from Café Noto to Sandpino's was seamless because he had already built a work chemistry with his colleagues.

"Ruben and Darlene are one of the kindest people I worked for," he said. "I'm really happy they were able to pick us up."

Dillon, 25, said he has worked in the industry since he was a teenager. Invited by his sister, who was a barista before him, he started as a dishwasher Acre Coffee, now known as Avid Coffee. He then learned all the nuts and bolts about how an espresso machine works and the mastery of brewing coffee.

He said that when it comes to cappuccinos, cortados and macchiatos, the Sandovals prefer a traditional menu and flavor. However, they also feature house specialties like the Café de Canela, a tribute to Mexican Café de Olla, and the Golden Maple, a cold shaken espresso with oat milk.

"From all the coffee shops I've worked for I would say Sandpino's has the highest quality," he said.

‘Heart of the community'

The Sandovals are active in their community. Darlene Sandoval currently serves as a chair at the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce board and sits on the Petaluma Health Center board. Her husband is president of Numer1cal and oversees Sandpinos' operation.

The couple said they envision their new business venture as a space for people to connect and relax while enjoying local products.

"We wanted to make this spot the heart of the community … a coffee shop where you can sit comfortably and want you to stay a little longer," Darlene said.

Everything in the shop prioritizes quality over quantity, Ruben said, a philosophy reflected even in their handpicked, thrifted furniture: "It shows the old way people used to do craftsmanship."

They wanted to keep the name simple, so they hyphenated the family name with Darlene's maiden name, Pino. And Sandpino's was born.

Sandpino's is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 101 Golf Course Drive A3, Rohnert Park. Find the shop online at instagram.com/sandpinoscoffeeandbrews.

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 1:02 PM.