[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 128 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF F. GAVINA & SONS, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 28, 2017

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize F. Gavina & 
Sons, Inc., a coffee company located in my 40th Congressional District 
of California, in the city of Vernon. The company, one of America's 
largest family-owned coffee companies and the nation's largest 
privately held minority roaster, celebrates their 50th anniversary in 
2017.
  The history of this coffee company is a story about family. Brothers 
Jose Maria and Ramon Gavina left their native Basque region of Spain in 
1870, in search of a better life. They settled in the fertile mountains 
of southern Cuba and planted the seeds of what would become Gavina 
Coffee.
  Don Francisco Gavina was born on the family coffee estate, Hacienda 
Buenos Aires. As a boy, he worked in the fields with his own father, 
watching and learning the secrets of growing quality coffee. He spent 
hours upon hours helping sow the seeds and urging the little plants to 
grow.
  The family left Cuba in 1959, and arrived in Los Angeles in 1963, 
where they put down roots. The family later leased a 1,100 square foot 
building in Vernon and purchased a small roaster from Bob's Big Boy 
restaurant. By June 1967, when they founded F. Gavina & Sons, Inc., 
they were roasting, packing and selling Cafe Gavina Espresso.
  In the beginning, they focused on producing Cuban-style coffee, but 
eventually expanded into other coffees that appealed to Middle Eastern 
and Vietnamese coffee drinkers. About 35 years later, Gavina's retail 
brand, Don Francisco's Coffee, had become the top selling coffee in 
Southern California, behind Folgers and Maxwell House.
  The family began selling their coffee to a small group of McDonald's 
restaurants in 1983. In 2005, Gavina created a stronger blend that 
resulted in a double-digit increase in the chain's coffee sales.
  According to the Los Angeles Times, by 2010, F. Gavina & Sons, Inc. 
had become a $114 million business and was roasting 40 million pounds 
of coffee a year. A fifth of their revenue was coming from making and 
packaging private label coffees for McDonald's, 7-Eleven, and Costco 
stores. Gavina coffee brands were being sold in 20 states, and in 
stores like Ralph's, Walmart, and Vons / Safeway.
  Don Francisco's sons, Paco, Pedro, and Jose, and his daughter, Leonor 
Gavina-Valls, grew up on the plantation and learned about coffee in the 
fields. Along with their own children, they still personally select 
beans, cup samples as they arrive, and oversee the specialty coffee 
roasting and production every day. They do all of this so that their 
customers and guests can be ensured a wonderful cup of coffee every 
time, from first sip to final drop.
  Today, they carry on the dream in their 240,000-square-foot eco-
friendly, state-of-the-art coffee roasting facility, just a few blocks 
from their original 1,100 square foot building. Gavina Coffee employs 
more than 250 people, and services businesses of all sizes--from mom 
and pop shops to multinational accounts. The company offers four 
leading U.S. coffee brands: Gavina Gourmet Coffee, Don Francisco's 
Coffee, Cafe La Llave Espresso, and Jose's Gourmet Coffee.
  In honor of their 50th anniversary, Gavina Coffee created a special 
Anniversary Blend which is roasted in Los Angeles and uses beans grown 
on the award-winning Carmen Estate in Panama by a third generation 
coffee-growing family. The Anniversary Blend, which entered the market 
on June 19, 2017, comes in a commemorative tin with a 10-ounce bag of 
ground coffee. Flavor notes in the new blend include caramel, honey, 
and ripe fruit with a chocolaty finish.
  Fifty years have brought many changes to the original company, but 
one thing remains the same: Members of the Gavina family still run the 
day-to-day operations of the company, with a new generation of Gavinas 
poised to continue the pursuit of a great cup of coffee.
  Gavina Coffee's 50th anniversary celebration includes: the opening of 
their first brick and mortar store in downtown Los Angeles, named Don 
Francisco's Coffee, Casa Cubana; the special anniversary blend; 
reaching the goal of 100% zero-waste-to-landfill; a continued 
commitment to leaving a greener coffee footprint through their Direct 
ImpactTM Initiative, which is based on four core pillars of dedication 
to farmers, sustainable sourcing, environmental sustainability, and 
social stewardship; continuing to donate coffee to local shelters and 
missions; and continuing to support organizations such as the Komen 
Race for the Cure, Avon Walk 39, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals 
(CMNH), EnrichLA and the International Women's Coffee Alliance.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in raising our 
coffee cups to the Gavina family and F. Gavina & Sons, Inc. as we 
celebrate their 50 years of success. We look forward to the next 50 
with great anticipation.

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