A family’s heritage and culture—rooted in coffee and spread throughout the streets of Spanish Harlem—traces back two generations in Bernadette Gerrity’s lineage. Café Aroma, a family-owned coffee roasting company, was founded in the mid-1960s and has been passed down through three generations. From onlooker to vice president, Gerrity is upholding the quality, commitment and heart of Café Aroma while growing the brand in new ways today.
The foundation
In 1961, Gerrity’s grandparents immigrated from Cuba to one of America’s vibrant multicultural bedrocks, New York City. While their trade history began with her grandmother at a sugar mill in Cuba, coffee was another craft they mastered, too. Roasting and brewing in their home kitchen, the family shared their coffee with their neighbors and friends. The rich coffee flavor was raved about among the tasters, indicating that a roasting business could have strong demand.
“I don’t like to ever make any comparisons, but there are really amazing brand leaders in the space, like Bustelo, and that was one of the only [other coffees] on the shelf,” Gerrity says. “So to diversify the options, because there [were] other flavor profiles that maybe my family wanted… or their community wanted, that my grandparents wanted to cater to, and they wanted to create something that was from the heart and from the home.”
After decades of serving the Spanish Harlem area with Café Aroma’s flavors, they’ve built a loyal clientele that has helped them expand nationwide. Now, they’re featured in top supermarkets across the U.S. and remain a staple in New York City’s restaurants and cafes.
Led by the women
And the brand’s presence wouldn’t have grown without her mother and aunt’s work. Gerrity believes her family’s female leadership in the (past) male-dominated coffee industry has been a key factor in establishing the brand.
“But as far as business, especially in the [United] States, it was very male-dominated. So for my mom and my aunt to kind of be the ones making these deliveries, they always like to kid that my grandfather just almost treated them like a boy and was like, ‘Get to work.’” Gerrity explains.
Now, as vice president, Gerrity has grown up witnessing her family’s hard work; however, she initially had to learn the business before she could join. She gained experience in coffee importing and trade, then transitioned into the family’s manufacturing side. “So many of these people [who] were training me had worked with my mother and my aunt and my grandfather,” she says. “So, I was in good hands. It was really comfortable. And you know, I think from there, I really grew to love the industry. [During] my first day of work, somebody said, ‘OK, once you get into the coffee industry, you’re never going to leave it.’”
Intrigued by marketing, she saw an opportunity to share her family’s story and took the initiative in growing the brand. “I was tailoring our story, tailoring our websites, making the coffee, obviously more available on e-commerce, utilizing social platforms, influencer marketing, you name it.”
Family dynamics
Gerrity remembers that when she entered the business, priorities and family roles merged. “I think family businesses are very unique, and oftentimes there’s, I guess, you’re kind of straddling two worlds when you’re in a family business, understanding when it’s work versus family time.”
Learning to separate her immediate urge to take on everything and prove herself was something she noticed quickly. Especially coming from a diligent family, she says, “We always want to carry all the weight on our own.”
Giving herself grace and taking leadership advice from her mother and aunt proved helpful for growing at Café Aroma. Taking on a leadership role now, she’s grateful for the hard-earned wisdom and understands that leadership quality relies on communication and respect.
Beans and legacy
The coffee profile has been roughly the same since the birth of Café Aroma. A few tweaks and adjustments have rounded the coffee recipe, but not before letting each other collaborate and test it for each other. “My grandfather used to bring coffee home to my grandmother from the factory for her taste test, to make sure that it was up to her liking and her standards. So I think our quality standards are something that has always remained the same, big or small. And I would say that also from a brand identity,” Gerrity says.
Quality control is their top priority. From scouring raw materials to roasting, they stay true to their brand while making sure coffee is accessible physically and financially. They aim to be available to everyone.
Their most recent launch, Café Aroma Especial, pays homage to their Cuban coffee legacy. Created to showcase a premium blend combining several of their on-shelf coffee profiles, Gerrity says, “It’s a little more of a luxury item for us.” The collaboration brought their entire family together to celebrate the blend that embodies their brand.
Photo courtesy of Café Aroma
