After graduating from SDSU, Alejandro “Alex” Marin taught math at a bilingual high school in Compton. But he was always calculating a return to San Diego.

In 2002, he made the move to Hillcrest, where he bought a building and eventually opened Exotic Bamboo Teahouse, now known as Bamboo Lounge, on University Avenue.

“I’ve always loved teas,” he says. “People who drink tea are calmer and not in a rush. It’s about the whole experience.”

Next to Bamboo’s 3,000 square feet of zen is T•Deli, where Marin, 39, offers fresh sandwiches and salads, also with tea.

“Tea hasn’t gotten the exposure in the West as it has in Europe and Asia,” he says. “But it’s a phenomenal drink that does a lot for your body.”

As president of the Hillcrest Business Association, Marin wants to keep the cup overflowing for his 1,200 members.

“We hold five huge events each year,” he says. “We want people to think of Hillcrest for their businesses like they might think of Little Italy or Downtown.”

Marin, the first college graduate in his east Los Angeles family, says being his own boss fits him, well, to a T. “I loved teaching but it is the American dream to own your own business.”