(Photos by Jason Halley / University Photographer)
Rebecca Turri is the kind of person who makes everyone feel like they’re an old friend. If she senses someone is having a rough day, she aims to lift their spirits with a warm smile and a hot cup of coffee. And while she may not remember your name right away, she will remember you like your Americano with vanilla and just the right amount of cream.
Turri (Business Administration, ’21) is the owner of Lovebird Coffee Company, which hatched inside a renovated vintage 1960 Kenskill trailer turned mobile coffee shop. The venture quickly became a Wildcat favorite, drawing long lines of students, staff, and faculty on the daily for its lattes, cold brews, and strawberry matcha.
The coffee business wasn’t originally part of Turri’s career plans, but graduating from college after the pandemic presented unexpected challenges. Lovebird emerged after a series of unfortunate events that included falling victim to a pyramid scheme, a brief stint at a tech company, and several stressful months of unemployment. But the Southern California native said she knew she had the confidence and grit to become an entrepreneur, having been raised by a single mother and independent since the age of 15.
“I didn’t know I wanted to own a business,” Turri said. “But I knew that if I was going to take a risk, and if the differentiator was going to be based on my work ethic, no one was going to stop me.”
In May 2023, Turri discovered a Facebook Marketplace listing in Grass Valley for the Kenskill trailer and purchased it for $500. With a loan from a family friend, she, her husband, David Turri, and her best friend, Kennedy Johnston, spent six months stripping away dingy old paint, clearing out a squirrel’s acorn stash, replacing broken windows and rotting wood, and removing layers of duct tape and grimy old tile. Their hard work transformed the trailer into a fully functional mobile coffee shop, which perched outside of Holt Hall in spring 2024.
Lovebird’s success didn’t happen overnight—and it wasn’t luck, asserts Turri, 26. It’s the result of consistency and 60-hour workweeks dedicated to making her dream a reality. Long 10-hour days inside the trailer, managing business orders, building relationships, focusing on strong marketing, and carefully assembling all the moving pieces have been key to its growth.
Turri cares about every fine detail, said Johnston, who moved from Southern California to help launch Lovebird. She’s observant and always thinking of things that other people might never think of. She also cares about the people around her and how they’re feeling and what they need, Johnston said.
Starting Lovebird with Turri has given Johnston’s life meaning, she said. It allows her to spend time with her best friend and solve problems together. It also means working on one of the most beautiful college campuses, having the privilege of hiring and working with amazing students, and finding a place in her new community.
Turri, who as a student was part of the Seufferlein Sales Program and Pi Sigma Epsilon, is in awe of the overwhelming support from the Wildcat community.
Just one year after launching her dream business, Turri’s Wildcat roots are deepening as she transitions from her beloved trailer, “Gertrude,” to a brick-and-mortar location inside the new Behavioral and Social Sciences Building.
“It’s incredible to be here,” she said, sitting in front of Lovebird’s new space. “It’s something I will never take for granted. My best years were at Chico State as a student, and now, being here—pursuing my entrepreneurial spirit—it’s unbelievable.”
Almendra (Journalism, ’11) is a bilingual content producer who helps empower and inspire audiences through storytelling. She also assists with editing and communications project management. She is a proud alumna and former editor-in-chief of The Orion.
