Kia Illulian didn’t plan on the Ripple Maker. Ten years later, he can’t imagine Carrera without it. We spoke with him in April 2026.
When Kia Illulian was getting ready to open Carrera Cafe in Los Angeles in 2016, a Ripple Maker wasn’t anywhere in his launch plan. Then he picked up a food and technology magazine a few weeks before opening, saw what Ripples was building, and reached out.
“They were like, yeah, we’ll let you guys kind of be part of our beta. We’ll send you a machine to try it out,” he says. “I really had no idea what was in store for us.”
What was in store for him turned out to be ten years as one of Ripples’ most inventive customers, taking Carrera Cafe from a buzzy coffee shop on Melrose to a full-blown experiential marketing venue, hosting brand takeovers for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and major music releases, all anchored by custom printed latte art.
How Carrera Cafe Used the Ripple Maker to Ride the Instagram Wave From Day One
Carrera Cafe launched at an unlikely crossroads. Instagram was exploding and influencer culture was being invented in real time. And Kia had just received a machine that could print anything onto foam.
“The timing was just incredible, because it was also at the launch of the Instagram growth phase, and coupled with all of those influencers who used to come in and take pictures of their food, that messaging went viral. It allowed the everyday person to kind of participate in that stardom a little bit. By printing their own unique messaging or things that are part of their lifestyle and expressing it to the world, that gives them an opportunity to almost go viral, if you will.”
“We weren’t the only game in town, obviously, but we were the only game in town that was doing innovative, cool, fun coffee concepts,” Kia says. “The ability to print on foam was just mind-boggling.”
The Moment Kia Realized the Ripple Maker Was Bigger Than Coffee
About six or seven years in, a young guy came into Carrera Cafe and asked to speak with Kia privately.
“I was like, sure, what’s up? Is there something wrong with your food?” Kia recalls. “He goes, no. I want to propose to my girlfriend and I want to do it on your latte art.”
They made it work. The girl said yes. And something clicked about what this coffee printer actually was.
“You think about how special that person felt in that moment, and how many people they’re going to go tell about that moment.”
He started creating moments for strangers. Taking a photo of an unsuspecting customer, printing it on their drink without saying a word, watching the reaction.
“Their minds would blow. They would be absolutely blown. And I wouldn’t say anything, and then they’d be like, what’s going on? Am I on a TV show?”
Why Major Studios Choose Carrera Cafe for Their LA Brand Takeovers
Carrera Cafe sits in West Hollywood, and its reputation for experiential thinking started attracting studios looking for something they couldn’t buy with a sponsored post. The package sells itself: an iconic outdoor mural wall, an immersive in-store environment, and Ripple-printed latte art as the centerpiece, a custom branded drink in every customer’s hand.
“All these successful or emerging brands are looking for a way to curate and get recognized and create an event that is IG-worthy,” Kia says. “And there are moments to capture.”
“You can put a sign on the wall, but that is a static image and you can’t change it unless you go and reprint it. But latte art imagery, I could upload a hundred if I want tomorrow and those will be revolving, and you can have a continuous message that’s changing and shaping the way people perceive a brand.”
It’s also what keeps Carrera Cafe in the cultural conversation year after year.
“One of the reasons we’re continuously successful is because I get to put messages that are trending on our latte art. If there’s a new movie out or a new album that’s out, immediately we’re going to put it on a Ripples menu, and we’re going to start printing. And now we become current again. So we’re always relevant, is how I say it.”
Most recently, Amazon Prime Video took over Carrera Cafe for two weeks to promote 56 Days. Instead of closing for a private influencer event, they kept the doors open to the public.
“They realized that they’re missing out on who the real target audience is,” Kia says. “Let the public come inside the doors and experience the Amazon cafe.”
The activation was successful enough that lead actress Dove Cameron came in for a fan event. Kia printed an image of her fiance’s eye on her drink without telling her.
“She looked at it and she’s like, oh, thanks. She didn’t realize at first. And then she freaked out. Oh my God. And the coffee almost spilled everywhere. It was such a great moment.”
The Business Lesson Behind Carrera Cafe’s 10 Years of Success: You Don’t Need to Reinvent the Wheel
Ask Kia why Carrera Cafe works, and he’ll tell you it’s simpler than people think.
“Carrera wasn’t this completely new coffee concept. Maybe the colors were a little different. Maybe the floor tiles were different, but it was a coffee shop. We serve food and we serve coffee. And the little pivot that we did, the little change was that we added a technology component to it, which was the Ripples. And that was enough to separate us from all the masses.”
They took that small thing and amplified it into branding, into events, into partnerships, and when one audience was tapped out, they found another.
“I didn’t recreate the wheel,” he says. “I just added another spoke.”
Ten years is a long time for any cafe to stay this relevant, and Kia credits much of it to Ripples. “From the get-go,” he says, “I always felt like I was part of something bigger.”
What the Ripple Maker coffee printer made possible: viral moments, Hollywood takeovers, a loyal audience that keeps growing, and the kind of marketing most brands spend millions trying to manufacture.
Takeaways for Coffee Shop Owners Considering a Ripple Maker
Turn Customers into Creators: You don’t need famous influencers to go viral. Printing a customer’s own photo or custom message on a drink makes them feel special. They’ll naturally share a picture of their drink and do your marketing for you.
Easily Feature Trending Content: Carrera stays successful by changing its menu as fast as pop culture. When a new movie or album drops, Kia uploads custom artwork near instantly so Carrera Cafe is always relevant.
A Simple, Ten-Second Pivot: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to stand out. Carrera is still a regular coffee shop, the only difference was adding the Ripple Maker. Its a coffee printer that prints in just ten seconds while baristas do other tasks, giving you a competitive edge without disrupting your workflow.
Unlock Local Partnerships: You don’t have to be a Hollywood unicorn to win sponsors. Brands love this tech because it puts a dynamic advertisement directly in the customer’s hand. Branded latte art makes it easy to pitch profitable takeovers to local businesses and community events.
Ready to see what you can do with a Ripple Maker? Learn more.
Carrera Cafe is located in Los Angeles and has been a Ripples customer since 2016.
