Three NorCal siblings are taking their garage cafe to Telegraph Avenue

"GA.RA is the handiwork of Daniel, Kasmira, and Timothy Nguyen, and its pays direct homage to that family history. Fittingly, "gara" is Vietnamese slang for garage. First debuting in February 2025 out of Daniel's garage masquerading as a cafe, GA.RA is about to go legit: The Nguyens will debut the physical space for the business at 2424 Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley on Tuesday."

"The opening marks the next iteration of an evolving and highly dynamic trend in specialty coffee in the Bay Area: specialty Vietnamese cafes, especially those outside San Jose. Long slept-on, Vietnamese drinks made with the country's Phin dripper - a metal filter that slowly produces a strong brew - have gained traction in the 2020s. The cafes in the U.S. are also not just for viral-friendly drinks: They've overlapped with the resurgence of "third space" culture, especially for young Vietnamese Americans."

"Their menu at GA.RA will reflect drinks they found on a pivotal trip to Vietnam. There will be oolong-laced Mekong teas, for instance, alongside milky Phin-pulled cà phê. On the fresher side, there's a Southern Vietnamese-inspired guava hibiscus cold brew. The classic Vietnamese coffee on the menu is mixed with sweetened condensed milk, then poured over ice. Modern, now-pan-Asian ingredients pandan and ube star on the menu, and salted cream tops are available, too."

Three generations of a Vietnamese American family opened successive garage-based businesses in Sacramento, evolving from cha lua sausage sales to computer hardware and now a home coffee roaster and cafe. GA.RA, founded by Daniel, Kasmira, and Timothy Nguyen, started in a garage in February 2025 and will open a brick-and-mortar at 2424 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. GA.RA highlights specialty Vietnamese coffee prepared with the Phin dripper alongside Mekong oolong teas, guava hibiscus cold brew, and sweet condensed-milk cà phê. The menu features pandan and ube ingredients and salted cream tops, reflecting Southern Vietnamese and pan-Asian influences and third-space culture for young Vietnamese Americans.

Read at SFGATE