A 50th Anniversary, 140 Years In The Making

F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc. celebrates 50 years of roasting in Los Angeles in 2017.  The celebration will kick off with a Special Commemorative Anniversary coffee blend, plant tours and cuppings, events for employee’s family and the public, and a continued focus on environmental sustainability.Los Angeles, CA - Gaviña Coffee is pleased to announce the celebration of their 50^th Anniversary of roasting in Los Angeles - a journey which began in Cuba in 1870.  With deep roots in coffee growing, the Gaviña family escaped Castro’s Cuba and eventually settled in the United States in 1963. The family put down roots in Los Angeles, and later leased an 1100 square foot building in Vernon, purchased a small roaster from Bob’s Big Boy restaurant and by June of 1967 the family was roasting, packing and selling Café Gaviña espresso.  The next fifty years would see the expansion of their operation from 1100 sq. ft. to their current 240,000 sq. ft. eco-friendly facility employing over 250 people and servicing mom & pop to multi-national accounts. The company now offers four leading US coffee brands:  Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, Don Francisco’s Coffee, Café La Llave Espresso, and José’s Gourmet Coffee.  In honor of the 50th Anniversary, Gaviña Coffee created a special Anniversary Blend using beans grown on the award-winning Carmen Estate in Panamá by a 3rd generation family and roasted in Los Angeles.  The Anniversary Blend comes in a commemorative tin with a 10 oz. bag of ground coffee.  Flavor notes in the new blend include Caramel, Honey, and Ripe Fruit with a Chocolaty finish.  Retail sales of the new blend begin June 19, 2017.Fifty years have brought many changes to the original company, but one thing remains the same, members of the Gaviña family still run the day-to-day operations of the company with a new generation of Gaviñas poised to continue the pursuit of a great cup of coffee. The 50th Anniversary celebration embraces all those who have helped build the company including the Los Angeles community, customers, employees, vendors, and coffee suppliers.  Gaviña plans to celebrate with:

The opening of their first brick and mortar operation in downtown LA - Don Francisco’s

Personal cupping and plant tours open to the public

A special anniversary coffee blend

A goal of reaching 100% zero-waste-to-landfill

A continued commitment to leaving a greener coffee footprint through their Direct Impact™ initiative which is based on four core pillars:  dedication to farmers, sustainable sourcing, environmental sustainability and social stewardship Read More

Donations of coffee to local shelters and missions

Continued support of organizations such as Komen Race for the Cure, Avon Walk 39, CMNH, EnrichLA and the International Women’s Coffee Alliance

“This is only possible because of the blood, sweat, tears, love, laughter, passion and perseverance of all who touch our business.  We are grateful to the customers, suppliers, vendors and employees who have trusted us to build this amazing company.  This is what great coffee looks like!” says VP of Marketing Leonor Gaviña-Valls.Family HistoryThe history of Gaviña Coffee is a story about family. Brothers José María and Ramón Gaviña began the quest in 1870 when they left their native Basque region of Spain in search of a better life.  They settled in the fertile mountains of southern Cuba and planted the seeds of what would become a Gaviña Coffee Legacy. Francisco Gaviña was born on the family coffee estate, Hacienda Buenos Aires.  As a boy, he worked in the fields with his father, watching and learning the secrets of cultivating quality coffee.  Francisco’s children worked these same fields before the family moved to the United States in 1963.  From their coffee growing roots in 1870 to the coffee roasting business in Los Angeles, founded in 1967, there have always been Gaviñas running the coffee business.Francisco’s sons, Paco, Pedro and José, and his daughter, Leonor, along with their children still personally select beans, cup samples as they arrive and oversee the specialty coffee roasting and production every day to ensure a quality product from bean to cup.About F. Gavina & Sons, Inc.Based inVernon, California, F. Gavina & Sons, Inc., is one of the largest family-owned coffee companies in America and the nation's largest privately held minority roaster. Spanning more than 140 years, dating back to the family's humble beginnings in the rich-coffee bearing soil of Cuba, the unmatched experience as coffee growers and roasters has paved the way for a strong presence in wholesale and retail accounts across the country. To learn more about Gaviña Coffee and the Gaviña family, please visitwww.gavina.com.