From my land to your cup
Tierra Mia means “my land.” It is where the coffee grows, and it is the neighborhoods we pour it in.
Built in South Gate.
Founder Ulysses Romero is Mexican-American and studied business at Berkeley and Stanford. When he opened the first Tierra Mia in 2008, he skipped the trendy neighborhoods and chose South Gate, a community specialty coffee had overlooked.
The idea was simple: third-wave coffee, Latin flavors and a place that feels like yours. Many of our cafés began as old fast-food buildings. In Huntington Park, a parklet out front became a place for neighbors to gather.
How we make the coffee.
We roast our own coffee in Los Angeles. Brewed coffee is made by pour-over and espresso runs on La Marzocco and Mazzer equipment.
Look around any café and you will see the farmers and processors behind each cup on the walls. Our reserve list includes Panama Geisha from Boquete, a coffee we have served by the cup for over 15 years.
Our road so far
- 2008The first Tierra Mia opens in South Gate in March, with the Horchata Latte and Horchata Frappe on the menu.
- 2011LA Weekly names Tierra Mia one of the 10 best coffee shops in Los Angeles.
- 2013We head north with a café in San Francisco.
- 2014Uptown Oakland gets a high-ceilinged café on Broadway.
- 2015Tierra Mia Cares launches to support early childhood literacy and youth sports.
- 2025A Pasadena drive-thru opens on North Lake Avenue in October.
- 2026Oceanside brings us to San Diego County, a second Santa Ana café opens in June, and San Bernardino opens in October.
Tierra Mia Cares
“We care about the community that allows us to exist,” says founder Ulysses Romero. Tierra Mia Cares funds early childhood literacy programs in California and youth sports in Brazilian coffee-farming communities.
