In October of 2002, during a job interview for an engineering management position, I was advised not to smile so much. In that instant, I knew that I wanted a career where a smile would be an asset rather than a liability, and that revelation sparked my idea for Javalina's Coffee and Friends. I set out on a journey to learn everything I could about specialty coffee and the coffee shop business.

Bonnie Vining, Javalinas owner

Javalina's opened as a coffee shop in December of 2003 and eventually developed into Tucson's premier venue for live acoustic music. We feature Tucson's top local musicians, and we are becoming well-known among musicians across the country as a great place to play. Music lovers often travel from Vail, Sierra Vista, Green Valley, Oro Valley, Marana, and even Phoenix to hear our live music.

During her five years of running a specialty coffee shop, booking and hosting live music, and working a day job for the last year, Bonnie discovered her true passion was for creating a sense of community through connecting musicians with appreciative audiences. She sold the coffee shop to Java Edge on December 15, 2008 and has started a non-profit called Live Acoustic Venue Association (LAVA) for the purpose of connecting musicians with appreciative audiences. LAVA will be hosting some of your favorite musicians at a variety of venues that are conducive to listening.