Alvin's of San Francisco, LLC

Alvin is the third of four generations of master coffee roasters and tea blenders. He was taught the art of roasting by his mother who would roast gourmet coffee for the entire town back in the old country. Coffee was a way of life, not just a morning cup of muddy water. When Alvin came to San Francisco as a child in the early 60's, he was shocked to see a world where coffee was a tasteless, over-roasted commodity and not treated like a work of art. There was no "gourmet" coffee or tea, just cheap alternatives to keep people awake. After college, Alvin decided to go back to his roots, wanting to roast coffee like his mother and grandmother did all those years ago. In 1976, Alvin established Alvin's Scrumptious Coffees and Teas and began roasting and blending tea the way he remembered. He became one of the first gourmet coffee roasters in San Francisco and eventually became a staple within the city. In a city that embraced gourmet food, eclectic charm and a European atmosphere, there was a need for gourmet coffee that provided an experience that one could not get from a can of cheap coffee. The brand played a role in the transformation of the San Francisco coffee scene with its iconic Golden Gate Bridge logo and its gourmet full-bodied taste. Alvin was part of the groundwork that led to the coffee boom that hit San Francisco years later. Today Alvin still roasts coffee with the help of his wife, son and daughters and the wonderful people at Alvin's of San Francisco. Using the very same method he used in 1976, and the same method his mother and grandmother used so many years ago, Alvin's of San Francisco provides gourmet coffee and teas through time-honored and slow-roasting techniques that have become known as the 'Alvin's of San Francisco' experience.