2 Nurses Got Tired of Bad Hospital Coffee, So They Built ‘Caffeine Clinic’ Coffee Truck
Necole Smith and Elena Villanueva, two Texas RNs, saw a problem many nurses and healthcare workers know all too well: the struggle to grab a decent cup of coffee during a busy shift.
Instead of just grumbling about it, they decided to fix it. Enter the ‘Caffeine Clinic,’ their mobile coffee shop on wheels that brings high-quality caffeine straight to healthcare workers across Lufkin, Texas. From nursing homes to hospitals, their sleek black coffee trailer has become a welcome sight and energetic boost for healthcare staff who can’t always leave work for a coffee run.
“When you’re a nurse, it’s hard to leave work during the day to go get a cup of coffee,” Villanueva told The Lufkin Daily News. “So we decided to bring it to them.”
What began as a joke between two coffee-loving nurses in October 2025 quickly evolved into a thriving business that addresses a genuine pain point for healthcare professionals. The concept is elegantly simple: bring quality coffee directly to where healthcare workers are, eliminating the need for staff to leave their facilities during busy shifts.
The menu features 16 cleverly named beverages with medical themes that resonate with their target audience. Customers enjoy drinks like “ICU Wake-Up Call,” “Code Caramel,” and “Strawberry Band-Aid.”
They also offer seasonal specials and baked goods from a local bakery, The Wild Crumb, because every good coffee deserves a snack.
The Caffeine Clinic operates two to three days weekly, posting their schedule and locations on their Facebook page so regular customers can track their whereabouts.
Beginning in January 2026, they also plan to expand services to include direct delivery to both Lufkin hospitals, so hospital employees can place their orders ahead of time and have their freshly-brewed beverages delivered hot (or iced, of course).
This nurse-owned venture represents a growing trend of healthcare professionals leveraging their insider knowledge to create businesses that serve their peers. According to the National Nurses in Business Association, approximately 0.5-1% of America’s 4 million registered nurses own businesses, a number that has only been steadily increasing in recent years. (And just as a disclaimer: not all of those nurses give up their “day” jobs as RNs to run side businesses either—it’s the beauty of nursing, because it can offer so many opportunities and flexibility.)
Like many nurse-run businesses, the Caffeine Clinic is about more than just the products it offers; it’s also about community. Smith and Villanueva have partnered with SS Worship Ministries to deliver Christmas gifts to nursing home residents and Thanksgiving meals to families in need.
On top of that, they’ve started catering special events like birthdays, weddings, and business grand openings. “At every event, we learn something new,” Villanueva shared.
Her business partner Smith added, “It’s been a learning process, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
As nursing faces challenges like burnout and low morale, small things like easy access to quality coffee can make a big difference. Smith and Villanueva’s mobile coffee shop is more than just a caffeine fix—it’s a reminder that small changes can improve workplace satisfaction.
So, nurses, take note: If you’ve got a great idea brewing, don’t hesitate to run with it.
Whether it’s coffee, scrubs, or something else entirely, your side hustle could be the next thing to make life easier for your fellow nurses.
