by Asé Mora
Located just 15 minutes from City Hall of San Francisco, the smell of fresh roasted coffee wafts from a spot tucked inside the African American Art and Culture Complex. The culprit? Tallio’s Coffee and Tea, a Black-owned cafe on a mission to bring upscale coffee to underserved communities.
Shortly after graduating with a B.A. in Sociology from San Francisco State University, Olton Rensch said the food inequalities and wealth disparities he witnessed during his time studying non-profits in low-income neighborhoods inspired him to want to do something about it.
After noticing the deficit in cafes offering quality coffee and pleasant customer service in the Bayview, forcing residents to either leave the neighborhood, or go to gas stations or liquor stores for a good cup of coffee, Rensch decided to open his own upscale cafe.
Tallio’s first opened in 2021, on 4732 Third St., as a way to bring the luxury of coffee to the Bayview.
“Coffee brings everybody together. You just want people to feel comfortable, like [they have] a safe place in the neighborhood where everybody can come and hang out and talk,” said Rensch.
Although inability to retain engagement from locals and lack of external support caused the cafe’s original Bayview location to close after only five years, Tallio’s Coffee and Tea is alive and well inside the AAACC in the Fillmore.
A month after Tallio’s Coffee and Tea reopened inside the AAACC, on March 29, the cafe continues to educate people about coffee and provide high-quality and nutritional beverage options.
What makes Tallio’s different from other coffee shops in the Bay Area, its Surinamese influence, is also the main inspiration behind many of their most popular drink options, according to Ivelisse Diaz, Tallio’s barista.
Originally from Suriname, a small country off the northeastern coast of South America, Rensch arrived in the U.S. with his family 40 years ago.
“The military government took over in Suriname and they planned to actually execute all the intellectuals – and two of my brothers were on the list. One of them was a newspaper editor and the other one a human rights activist, and my dad said, ‘It’s not gonna happen.’ I remember that Sunday night. Everybody had a visa to the U.S. and then within 30 days, my dad had told everybody to sell all their stuff – that we’re leaving – and we ended up in San Francisco,” he said.
One of Tallio’s most popular beverages is the Ginger Brew, a healthy, non-caffeinated mocktail alternative to traditional coffee. The ginger root is a popular ingredient in many Surinamese dishes and drinks.
Tallio’s offers a variety of health conscious options such as the Chagccino, a chaga mushroom-infused, espresso and steamed milk drink, and the Golden Turmeric Latte which has turmeric, black pepper, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg.
“Black pepper with turmeric makes the anti-inflammatory effects more powerful,” said Diaz.
Audree Tillman, social media and marketing manager at Tallio’s, emphasized how coffee can be a significant tool in facilitating community on its own, but Tallio’s takes it a step further by offering community engagement events and classes.
Scheduled on May 3, Tallio’s will be hosting a latte art workshop taught by professional barista craftsman Jalil Gurbanou. Live music will be performed by Tillman, aka Luminarybae, of the Upper Luminaries musical group.
Also, don’t miss the “Coffee and Connections” event on May 6, in collaboration with the Bayview Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center and the Alliance for Community Development Organization. It celebrates San Francisco’s Small Business Week.
“Another thing that sets it apart is the joy. Every time I come to Tallio’s, Olton’s always smiling; the people who work with him are always smiling. It’s always a good vibe and then I love the fact that he also supports other Black businesses as well,” said Bivett Brackett, CEO of the Brackett Group and organizer for the Big Black Brunch.
The welcoming environment at Tallio’s is a reflection of Rensch and the workplace he facilitates, according to Tillman.
“Olton has this way of attracting all these creatives here and it’s a beautiful energy when you come here. When you walk in here you’re happy and you don’t have to worry about someone at the counter being mean or rushing an order. You’re going to get what you want and you’re going to be happy,” said Tillman.
“After we got the coffee shop a lot more people have been coming in,” said Dontina Williams, office manager of the AAACC.
On March 29, Rensch’s impact in the Bayview and Fillmore community was acknowledged and awarded with a certificate of honor presented by District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood,
“It was nice that the supervisor brought it, to actually hand it personally to myself and Ellen. It was really special to see that you are being recognized and seen and heard of,” said Rensch reflecting on the personal impact of the award.
According to Rensch, the reopening of Tallio’s in the Fillmore presents a new opportunity to continue his utilitarian and community first approach to coffee, a mission aimed at fighting against social injustice within Black communities.
“If another opportunity comes along to open up shop there I would love to and I would do it differently knowing what I know now. I would be happy to be back in the Bayview. I just want to make sure that we all benefit. Not only when you have a certain income you can benefit or be able to afford certain things. [We] should all be able to afford or enjoy good beverages and good meals especially when it comes to safe food,” said Rensch.
Asé Mora is an aspiring journalist, studying at San Francisco State University, and an intern for the SF BayView National Black Newspaper. She can be reached at asemora81@gmail.com.
