Leader Jones with Senate District 40 Small Business of the Year Mostra Coffee Co-Owners Beverly, Jelynn, Mike, and Sam (left) and Leader Jones with Mostra Coffee Founders and four generations of their families (right). Click here for high-resolution photos.
Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) has named Mostra Coffee as the 2024 “Small Business of the Year” and recognized 10 “Top Small Businesses” of Senate District 40.
"Mostra Coffee stands as a beacon of community spirit, not only for their exceptional coffee but also for their profound commitment to giving back,” said Leader Jones. “Through their extensive charity work, including free coffee programs for frontline workers and educators, partnerships with local youth sports organizations, and generous donations to charitable causes, Mostra Coffee exemplifies the true essence of community engagement and social responsibility. Congratulations to Mostra Coffee for not only building an exceptionally successful business with fantastic coffee, but also for their commitment to making our community thrive."
"We are incredibly honored to receive the Small Business of the Year Award," said Jelynn Sophia Malone, Co-Founder of Mostra Coffee. "This award reflects the hard work and passion of our amazing team. We're grateful for the ongoing support from our community. At Mostra Coffee, our goal has always been to bring people together and inspire creativity through our love for community and great coffee. Thank you for acknowledging our efforts and supporting our mission for Philippine Specialty Coffee."
Leader Jones also recognized the following “Top Small Businesses of Senate District 40”:
- Alhiser-Comer Mortuary in Escondido
- Armstrong Feed and Supply, Inc. in Valley Center
- Boll Weevil in Lakeside
- Descanso Garden Club in Descanso
- Journal Publications in Ramona
- Krvaric Capital & Risk Management in Rancho Bernardo
- PSYONIC in Scripps Ranch
- Rock n' Jenny's Italian Subs in Escondido
- Staump Music School in Santee
- The French Oven in Scripps Ranch
“In addition to our ‘Small Business of the Year,’ we have many noteworthy and exceptional small businesses in Senate District 40,” continued Leader Jones. “All these businesses help make our community thrive and they all deserve recognition.”
May is National Small Business Month. California is home to 4.2 million small businesses, which represent 99.8% of all California Businesses. Crucial to the economic vitality of the state, 47.9% of California employees are employed by a small business.
In celebration of Small Business Month, Senator Jones makes an annual special tribute to small businesses, their hard work, and commitment to the betterment of the community, with the “40th Senate District Small Business of the Year” honor.
Background on Senate District 40 Business of the Year - Mostra Coffee
In 2009, two best friends, Beverly Magtanong and Jelynn Malone, were volunteering to build homes for impoverished communities in the Philippines. They realized that the best way to help them build sustainable livelihoods was to help Philippino farmers get paid fairly for their crops, which happened to be coffee. They sought the help of Chef Mike Arquines, who at the time was working at renowned Michelin-star restaurants. He and his team would later help to create the masterpiece drinks Mostra Coffee cafes are known for. Their coffee would later earn them the most respected and coveted award, “Roaster of the Year,” a title given to only a handful of the best coffee roasters in the world.
The name “Mostra,” the Italian word for exhibition or show, was chosen to reflect their performance backgrounds. Beverly (opera singer), Jelynn (television & performing arts), Mike (culinary arts), and Sam (decorated Army veteran with a sharp business acumen) illustrate a rich tapestry of talent and ambition. The four co-founders sought to make a difference in the world and live out the essence of "Mostra." This essence not only encompasses the arts and music, but also a spirit that is as dynamic and inspiring as the worlds of culinary and sports.
Mostra Coffee has received several awards including:
- 2020 - Micro-Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine.
- 2022 - 1st Place in the United States Coffee Roasting Championships.
- 2022 – 11th place in the World Roasting Championships in Milan, Italy, where they represented the United States. Mostra Coffee currently holds the best showing by the United States to date in this international competition.
- 2022 - Top Coffees in the World by Coffee Review.
- 2022 - #6 of the “Top 50 Coffee Shops in the World” and #2 of the “Top 50 Coffee Shops in the US” by travel blog Big 7 Travel.
- 2024 - "Top 10 Most Popular Cafes" Official Coffee Partner of the San Diego WAVE Football Club, the San Diego's women's professional soccer team.
Mostra Coffee has been featured in Forbes, Bon Appetit, Talks at Google, META, US Weekly, Huffpost, Gear Patrol, Thrillist, Buzzfeed, Eater, NBC, ABC, CBS, MSN, F0X, KTLA, ABS-CBN, Alaska Airlines, Zagat and other publications and news channels.
They also sponsor several local youth sports organizations including 4S Ranch Rec Soccer, PLAAY Flag Football, and Velo Nutz Cycling Club.
Mostra Coffee has partnered with educational institutions to create for-credit internship opportunities and educational experiences for learning about entrepreneurship, marketing, and retail operations to interested students.
They have several free coffee programs for law enforcement, firefighters, emergency responders, military, veterans, healthcare workers, teachers, and local church organizations. Finally, Mostra Coffee donates to several charities including Children's Hospital in San Diego, the Leukemia Foundation and other cancer societies, food banks, veterans organizations, and numerous other local events and charity events. In 2023, their charitable giving in cash and coffee donations was over $210,700.
In honor of their contribution to the community, Mostra Coffee co-owner Mike Arquines is being recognized with the inaugural "Nate Soroko Community Impact Award" at the 4th annual San Diego Craft Beer Awards.