VERNON, CA -- More than 130 years ago, two brothers left their homeland in the Basque region of Spain in pursuit of a dream: to grow the best quality coffee beans that would produce the perfect cup of coffee with every serving.



Today, the dream of José María and Ramón Gaviña’s lives on with every cup of coffee served in more than 3,000 McDonald’s restaurants throughout most of the West division. Family-owned Gaviña Gourmet Coffee of Los Angeles has served as one of the major coffee suppliers to the global restaurant chain since 1983 and helped formulate the company’s successful line of McCafé specialty coffee drinks recently launched on a national level.



With Gaviña’s help, McDonald’s share of the beverage segment has jumped to more than 10%, fueled largely by the introduction of Premium Roast Coffee in 2005. In May, the company expanded its lineup of coffee offerings with espresso-based hot beverages and iced coffee drinks.



“When you look at how McDonald’s has grown its coffee business over the last three years, it’s truly an amazing success story that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our partners at Gaviña,” said Mary Muñoz, New Products Supply Chain Manager for McDonald’s.



In the 1860s, the Gaviña brothers left their homeland in Spain for the coffee-bearing soil of the southern Cuban mountains. The Gaviña's plantation in Cuba, Hacienda Buenos Aires, produced the finest coffee on the island and established the region's coffee community.



Company patriarch Don Francisco was born on the plantation and learned the intricacies of growing and roasting the highest quality coffee beans. He worked the fields, learning how to pick and dry the beans slowly, and how to judge which ones were ...