Tulsa · United States
Topeca Coffee Roasters
Topeca Coffee Roasters roasts in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Since 2002 · Margarita Gaberino, John Gaberino, Emilio Lopez, Margarita Lucia Diaz
Overview
Topeca is the U.S.-based roasting arm of a six-generation Salvadoran coffee family that traces back to Santiago Díaz-Cáceres planting trees on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano in 1850. Founded in 2002 by Salvadoran-born Margarita Gaberino (whose childhood mispronunciation of her own name as 'Topeca' supplied the brand) and her Tulsa-native husband John, the company is one of the world's earliest farm-to-cafe vertically integrated operations — the family owns Finca el Manzano and the wet/dry mills, exports green directly, and roasts in downtown Tulsa.
Known for
- Six-generation Salvadoran coffee family (Diaz-Cáceres, since 1850)
- Vertical integration from Santa Ana volcano farm to Tulsa roastery
- First retail cafe at the historic Mayo Hotel (2007)
- Annual transparency reports on producer pricing
- BestCup compostable pods program
Why it matters
Topeca is one of the world's earliest farm-to-cafe operations and the only major U.S. specialty roaster owned and run by a generational coffee-producing family — making it a rare structural counterpoint to the dominant 'roaster sources from cooperatives' model that defines third-wave specialty.
Production
- roastery location
- Two roasting operations — one on Finca el Manzano in El Salvador and one in downtown Tulsa, OK; pickup roastery operates across from ONEOK Field at the Vast Bank location
Café
Three downtown Tulsa locations: Philcade Building (5th & Boston), Hyatt Regency (Bartlett Square 2nd & Boston), Vast Bank/ONEOK Field in historic Greenwood
Recognitions
- Rain Forest Alliance Certified farms
- Distributed via Walmart, Reasors, Sprouts in Tulsa region
- Coffee exported to Europe and Australia