Skip to Content
L.A. TACO home
L.A. TACO home
Log In
Drink

This DIY Barista Is Shaking Up Highland Park’s Coffee Scene By Pulling Espresso Shots Out of His Car

"We're serving, quote-unquote, specialty coffee, fermented coffee, specialty high-grade coffee to the people at six bucks," says Daniel Arteaga, the barista behind 'Caffeineicide,' a mobile coffee bar who sets up across the street from what used to be known as "the most depressing Starbucks in America" in Highland Park.

10:49 AM PDT on October 2, 2025

Arteaga working out of his trunk

Daniel Arteaga, owner of Caffeineicide, works out of his car trunk to serve Highland Park top-tier espresso. Photo by Isaac Ceja for L.A. TACO.

We meet Daniel Arteaga as he pulls shots of a fruit-forward espresso out of a generator-powered machine sitting in the trunk of his electric Toyota bZ4X on Wednesday. He's nestled between a group of street vendors working right from what used to be known as "the most depressing Starbucks in America" in Highland Park.

Daniel Arteaga works an espresso machine from the back of his Toyota, the sole owner and barista of Caffeineicide. Photo by Isaac Ceja for L.A. TACO.

Although he runs out of oat milk early on, he nearly doubles his goal, selling 80 coffees by the end of the day, all while making customers laugh, handing out stickers, and talking to his followers on TikTok LIVE.