Deeply ingrained in the community of San Pedro’s historic arts district is Sirens Java & Tea, a community coffeehouse for many of the area’s residents that is dedicated to and inspired by first responders. Its walls are decorated with murals done by local artists and live music fills the air every Friday.
Prior to opening its doors in 2014, Sirens Java & Tea was looking for a reliable coffee partner that shared its values and understood the ideas of community and family. This reliable coffee partner would soon be found in Gaviña Coffee.
A Community-Rooted Coffeehouse
After retiring as a deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County, Yolanda Regalado knew exactly what she wanted to do next: start a community-based coffeehouse dedicated to first responders. With this dream in hand, the idea behind Sirens Java & Tea was born. This coffeehouse was named in honor of her dad, a commercial fisherman, who used to tell her stories of mermaids, or sirenas in Spanish, and her brothers who were all firemen and answered the call of the sirens.
But where to start? Having no prior experience of running a coffeehouse, Regalado needed a coffee partner that would grow with her. She needed a partner that would guide her through the process, step-by-step, and deliver classic, quality coffee that appealed to her customer base.
So when Regalado discovered Gaviña Coffee, a community-rooted heritage brand that served the perfect coffee profile she needed, she knew she had found the perfect coffee partner. “When I was looking at all the coffee partners – and there were a lot of them – Gaviña just hit the spot in terms of what I wanted my coffeehouse to be: very family-oriented and very hands-on as far as coffee quality,” explained Regalado.
Gaviña Coffee’s Support System
As a retired sheriff, Regalado was entering new territory and had to learn all the essential skills of running a successful coffee house – fast. She needed to learn how to develop the perfect menu, how to use the coffee equipment, and how to brew the perfect cup of coffee. “The learning curve was the biggest. This was all new to me and I needed somebody to guide me through the process. And Gaviña had the perfect support system,” said Regalado.
Understanding the unique needs of Sirens Java & Tea, Gaviña worked with Regalado at every step to get her coffeehouse up and running. “Not only did they offer great coffee, Gaviña actually listened to me and the coffee profiles I was looking for. They listened to the type of customers that were in my area.” Gaviña leveraged its decades of industry expertise to provide Sirens with a customized European-style coffee solution. In addition, Gaviña delivered hands-on coffee and equipment training as well as marketing support. “Gaviña walked me through many of the obstacles I was facing – whether it be design concepts, coffee equipment, what I needed and what I didn’t need, and how I could better appeal to my customer base,” explained Regalado. “The training team was there whenever I had a question. They were even there at my first opening, guiding my staff and jumping in whenever we needed any assistance.”
This constant business support Gaviña Coffee brought to Sirens Java & Tea has been critical to the success of this partnership. Even to this day, Regalado knows she can rely on Gaviña for anything. “With Gaviña, I feel like I’m family. There’s a connection, where if I need something, I know they wouldn’t hesitate to help me.”
Growing with Gaviña Coffee
While serving Gaviña Coffee, Yolando Regalado has been able to greatly grow her clientele and her business. “Everyone loves our coffee. We get compliments all the time. Because of Gaviña and the coffee we serve, we have been able to expand our business. We wouldn’t be here today without Gaviña’s help,” said Regalado.
In recent years, Sirens Java & Tea has become the chosen vendor for the U.S. Navy in Los Angeles County and has been asked to be the preferred coffeehouse for many projects and shows. Today, Sirens Java & Tea is gearing up to open two new locations in San Pedro and is excited to continue working with Gaviña Coffee every step of the way.
