National Coffee Day lands on September 29 every year, and one of the West's most fitting ways to mark it involves a bag from Los Angeles. Don Francisco's Coffee, roasted in L.A. by the Gaviña family, has been part of Southern California's kitchen counters for nearly 60 years — and the family story behind it goes back more than 150 years and four generations.
The modern California chapter started in 1963, when Francisco Gaviña brought his coffee passion from Cuba to Los Angeles. The family has been roasting there ever since, sourcing 100% Arabica beans from top coffee-growing regions worldwide and sampling every batch before it ships. It's an increasingly rare thing: a fourth-generation, family-owned roaster still based in its hometown. Locals compare it to the Hollywood sign — so familiar on grocery shelves you almost stop noticing it, yet unmistakably L.A.
What makes the brand relevant to anyone planning a California trip is its range. There are the classics — Kona Blend and 100% Colombia Supremo — alongside flavored staples like Vanilla Nut and Hawaiian Hazelnut. Newer blends include Daybreak and Moonlight Roast, plus seasonal rotations such as Pumpkin Spice, Maple Pecan, and Holiday Blend. Formats cover every kind of morning: ground, whole bean, single-serve pods, and espresso capsules. Recipes from the brand even stretch the ritual into dessert territory — think Banana Bread Iced Coffee with Daybreak Blend or a Dark Chocolate Cherry Iced Coffee.
You can find it at DonFranciscos.com, Amazon, and supermarkets across the region, including Vons, Ralphs, Albertsons, and Safeway — which means it's an easy, affordable souvenir or picnic-table find on any West Coast itinerary. The suggestion from Sunset, which profiled the brand, is simple: treat September 29 as Western Coffee Day. Skip the novelty angle and brew the hometown stuff — at the kitchen table, in a travel mug, or poured for whoever drops by. Then repeat on September 30.
For travellers, this is a small but genuinely local slice of L.A. culture: a coffee that's roasted in the city by a family that's been doing it for generations, sitting on the same supermarket shelves as the big national brands. Picking up a bag beats another airport mug.
