As you drive down Second Street in Long Beach, you’ll see a new location on the horizon. When you walk into the new facility, the aroma of roasting coffee whiffs through your nose, quickly followed by the nutty, distinctive smell of ube.
Teofilo Coffee Shop is Long Beach’s newest Filipino cafe that officially opened on April 13. Expectations are high for the company, owing to the success of their first location in the nearby city of Carson.
Ron Dizon, founder and chief executive officer of Teofilo, developed the idea for the company after his mother told him about how the Philippines produces much of the world’s coffee, and has done so since the 1740s. Dizon dove into research on the coffee history of the Philippines, both shocked and inspired by his findings. Then, a light bulb turned on.
Dizon wanted to create a coffee shop that highlighted Filipino farmers and gave them the credit they deserve, while celebrating his own culture.
“There’s nothing new about this. I didn’t invent coffee, we’re just painting the picture because the people behind the scenes are the ones who deserve most of the credit,” Dizon said.
He also partnered with the Philippine Department of Agriculture to help promote agricultural development as well as ensure food security and fight for higher pay for farmers.
Teofilo is the name of Dizon’s grandfather, who was known in the Philippines as a handyman who was heavily involved in his community.
Teofilo boasts four different species of coffee from all over the Philippines: arabica, robusta, liberica (locally known as barako) and excelsa. Each of these beans offer a different flavor profile and vary in size. While arabica is known worldwide, excelsa makes up only 6% of global production while liberica makes up 1%, making these two strains of coffee beans some of the rarest in the world.
Teofilo’s signature drink, true to its heritage, is their ube latte. The purple yam that hails from the Philippines has grown quite popular the last few years, but Dizon says he and his team are not looking to follow or set trends, just trying to do the right thing by spotlighting Filipino culture.
The two other drinks that “built Teofilo Coffee Company” are the Mount Milo, a Filipino version of a mocha latte that’s slightly less sweet, and the Nido Latte, a Filipino Kape mixed with Milo powder to create a rich and creamy concoction that’s not overly sweet. Want to try both? Their 50/50 latte lets you do just that.
Teofilo’s menu doesn’t stop at coffee. Along with a rotating menu of matchas and other teas, visitors can peruse a case full of various pastries, most with a Filipino twist. Treats include ube cinnamon rolls, almond or matcha croissants, ube coffee cake, chicken and pork siopao (Filipino dumplings), and more depending on what seasonal items you might find.
In the motherland, farmers work six to eight hours a day harvesting bags of coffee beans that weigh 80 to 120 pounds.
Dizon and his company want to help by giving the farmers recognition and the money they need to feed themselves. He pointed out how companies such as Nestle have a long list of exploitative practices, taking resources from an area while harming their residents and alleged questionable labor practices.
The plan right now is to visit the Philippines once or twice a year, branching out to new parts of the island each time. Dizon said he wants to show locals who Filipinos are by sharing a piece of their culture with them.
“We’ve built places that are accepting because Filipinos have a reputation of being hospitable,” Dizon said.
The company’s ethos, as stated on their website, is authenticity, uncomfortable work and execution. Through these pillars, they are reminded to stay true to their heritage, take on new challenges and turn their ideas into impact.
Glenn Gordo, operations manager, oversees vendor relations for both locations as well as scheduling, staffing, graphic design, marketing, social media and even cleaning the bathrooms.
“I work for my staff,” Gordo said, donning his Long Beach hat. “I don’t really consider myself as their boss because they’re the ones who are running the floor and I’m just there to facilitate and help them do what they need to do.”
Gordo said his goal is to help make the shop feel as authentic as possible and keep the consistency in quality from the Carson shop to the new Long Beach location.
“We want to make sure that you taste our coffee because the flavors accentuate the coffee versus our coffee accentuating the flavor,” Gordo said.
Gordo has worked for other coffee shops, as well as in fashion and multimedia. He reached out to Dizon about working with Teofilo when he realized he wanted to be more involved in the Filipino community.
Dizon and Gordo expect their new location to be just as successful as their other and will continue to grow their business the right way.
Teofilo Coffee is located at 5668 Second Street and is open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can find Teofilo on Instagram at @Teofilocoffeecompany.
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