New faces fill Para Dice espresso stand

From the looks of it, one coffee stand in the Valley is getting a little bit closer to paradise.

The Para Dice espresso stand at 13112 E. Sprague Ave. recently got a new owner, a fresh coat of paint, and the large dice on the sign have been removed in favor of some palm trees.

Owner Angela Hoxie bought the stand seven weeks ago, and since has been busy sprucing it up and trying to attract some new customers.

“We’ve had lots of improvements and we’ve been getting good feedback from our customers,” Hoxie said as she speedily crafted one of many espresso drinks Friday morning.

Hoxie has replaced the entire staff at Para Dice, and the baristas are all becoming known for their superior customer service, she said. It’s all part of an effort to remake Para Dice into a more well-known place.

“This place didn’t have a good reputation before,” she said. “But we’re going to do much better.”

Hoxie already has cleaned up the stand and spruced up the outside. She’s also changed the hours so that the business opens much earlier, 5 a.m. sharp, every day.

Hoxie previously managed another coffee stand for 10 years before she decided it was time to go her own way and buy her own business. Many customers from her old stand have followed her to the new business.

“It’s nice to work just for yourself,” she said. “I knew how to do everything before, but now it really all falls on you. Everything is on you now.”

Hoxie is already making repeat customers, she said, by making a consistently good coffee product and giving excellent customer service.

“Things have changed for the better,” she said.