{"id":273180,"date":"2026-04-17T21:19:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/273180\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T21:19:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:19:27","slug":"teofilo-brings-filipino-coffee-culture-history-to-long-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/273180\/","title":{"rendered":"Teofilo brings Filipino coffee culture, history to Long Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

As you drive down Second Street in Long Beach, you\u2019ll 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Teofilo Coffee Shop is Long Beach\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s coffee, and has done so since the 1740s<\/a>. Dizon dove into research on the coffee history of the Philippines, both shocked and inspired by his findings. Then, a light bulb turned on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dizon wanted to create a coffee shop that highlighted Filipino farmers and gave them the credit they deserve, while celebrating his own culture.<\/p>\n

\"\"Teofilo Coffee owner Ron Dizon presses down the Aeropress on April 6, 2026, as he makes the single origin coffee in the new location at second street. The use of the Aeropress is to give a unique clean and tastier coffee in comparison to other forms of methods of brewing opening to greater taste. (Jorge Hernandez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing new about this. I didn\u2019t invent coffee, we\u2019re just painting the picture because the people behind the scenes are the ones who deserve most of the credit,\u201d Dizon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Teofilo is the name of Dizon\u2019s grandfather, who was known in the Philippines as a handyman who was heavily involved in his community.<\/p>\n

Teofilo boasts four different species of coffee from all over the Philippines:\u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Teofilo Coffee\u2019s Ube Latte is prepared with their signature ingredient sourced from the Philippines ready for a customer to enjoy on April 6, 2026. (Jorge Hernandez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\"\"Coffee containers, apparel, a pouch of Barko Blend Coffee and Aeropress coffee makers are sold at Teofilo Coffee on April 6, 2026. Located on Second Street in the Naples neighborhood, Teofilo specializes in specialty coffee with their mission to \u201cgive Back to the Philippines.\u201d (Jorge Hernandez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Teofilo\u2019s 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\u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two other drinks that \u201cbuilt Teofilo Coffee Company\u201d are the Mount Milo, a Filipino version of a mocha latte that\u2019s slightly less sweet, and the Nido Latte, a Filipino Kape mixed with Milo powder to create a rich and creamy concoction that\u2019s not overly sweet. Want to try both? Their 50\/50 latte lets you do just that.<\/p>\n

Teofilo\u2019s menu doesn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the motherland, farmers<\/a> work six to eight hours a day harvesting bags of coffee beans that weigh 80 to 120 pounds.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> and alleged questionable labor practices<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Teofilo Coffee owner Ron Dizon and barista Glenn Gordo stands at their new location at Second Street their new Long Beach location on April 6, 2026. Teofilo\u2019s main mission is to \u201cGive back to the Philippines\u201d as they specialize their single origin coffee and signature drinks. (Jorge Hernandez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\"\"Espresso is being brewed at Teofilo Coffee on April 6, 2026. Teofilo serves many of their drinks, including their ube latte, with ingredients sourced from the Philippines. (Jorge Hernandez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve built places that are accepting because Filipinos have a reputation of being hospitable,\u201d Dizon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI work for my staff,\u201d Gordo said, donning his Long Beach hat. \u201cI don\u2019t really consider myself as their boss because they\u2019re the ones who are running the floor and I\u2019m just there to facilitate and help them do what they need to do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Teofilo Coffee barista Glenn Gordo pours a mixture of espresso and ube syrup to make their signature ube latte, with ingredients sourced from the Philippines on April 6, 2026. (Jorge Hernandez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that you taste our coffee because the flavors accentuate the coffee versus our coffee accentuating the flavor,\u201d Gordo said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Know of a shop we should feature? Let us know at Newspaper@SignalTribune.com. <\/p>\n

More Posts: <\/p>\n

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