A grab-and-go staple next to the courthouse has a new life as an inviting cafe.

There are a few ways to think about the origin story of the business partnership between Raquel Rivera and Deborah Villalón. On one level, it’s a meeting of two hard workers who share a similarly intense work ethic. They are both jacks of all trades with an entrepreneurial spirit: Rivera has worked as a school bus driver and transportation manager, as well as a wedding photographer. Villalón used to work in the classroom with special education students, and also sold appliances. They both still have side hustles on the weekends. “We both are really hard workers,” Rivera says.

On another level, it’s a love story that brought these two women together. Rivera is married to Villalón’s brother; when all three of them worked in the Carmel school system, Villalón remembers trying to help match-make for her brother. “I said, ‘She’s cute, you should talk to her.’ Who knew she was going to be my sister-in-law?” (Now, they call each other “sister,” no formality-by-marriage appended.)

But mostly it’s the story of a long-time dream to own a cafe. “We love meeting people, being around people, serving people,” Villalón says. Neither has formal culinary training, but both love hospitality. “We have the same aspirations,” says Rivera.

Of course, aspirations are one thing and reality is another. Last year, Rivera was serving on a jury in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. She saw Jo’s Cafe – so-named for the 62 decorative heads, designed by artist Jo Mora, that flank the 1937 building – was vacant. A sign in the door called for proposals to the county purchasing department.

“I contacted my sister and said, ‘Remember how we always wanted to open a cafe? Are you sure that you’re sure? Because you’re going to have to quit your job.’”

With no hesitation, Villalón said yes.

Together, they crafted a response to the county’s RFP. They were awarded the lease, and got to work. They spent the next few months taste-testing and sourcing ingredients, striving for local – coffee beans from Acme in Seaside, tea from Zum Zum in Salinas, pastries from Azucar con T in Prunedale and The Sweet Life in Salinas, bread from Otto’s Bread just outside Salinas.

They developed a menu guided by the idea of offering “healthier options than a vending machine,” Rivera says. “We chose things that we love.”

There are grab-and-go options – sandwiches, wraps, salads, snack boxes with chopped vegetables and hard-boiled eggs – that serve judges and jurors on a quick court break. There’s a popular salad bar. And there are smoothies, smoothie bowls heaped with fresh fruit and granola, and a full coffee bar. (A customer favorite is the dulce de canela, made with agua de canela – cinnamon water – that they brew fresh daily.)

They are limited in their cooking options because there’s no range hood; they use a small oven to make flatbreads (at least a 10-minute wait) and a hot plate for ramen. There are toasts (avocado, peanut butter-and-berry, etc.) and ample vegetarian options.

They opened in March, and three months in, business is thriving. Most of their customers come from court and the District Attorney’s Office, which shares the building. (On one recent day, County Administrative Officer Sonia De La Rosa is having a long meeting; a woman comes in for an afternoon coffee with her son and brand-new daughter-in-law, moments after their wedding at the county building just across the walkway.)

Some people drop in briefly for a coffee or a snack, but many linger. Rivera and Villalón decorated with lots of plants and green-hued paintings by Rivera (they plan to offer a rotating display of local art). They’ve transformed the space from what was once a juror snack bar into a cafe that invites people to stay a while. “One of our main reasons for decorating the way we did is to be an escape,” Rivera says. “The offices around here are all very stressful. It’s a break away from the terrible things in the criminal court. People say, ‘Thank you for being here, so we can have a breather.’”

VILLA RIVERA CAFE is in Jo’s Cafe at 142 W. Alisal St., Salinas. Open 7am-3:30 Monday-Friday; closed weekends. 256-7025, villariveracafe.com.