What’s café culture without the actual culture? Fresh off its barista-inspired collaboration with Kids of Immigrants, a capsule that included everything from a hat and crossbody bag to the fan-favorite workwear jacket, Oatly is continuing to pour into others. Tapping those fueling the masses, the classic oat milk brand extends its community-driven platform by highlighting eight beloved immigrant-owned cafés across the U.S., from New York and Chicago to Austin and San Diego.
Speaking with the visionaries behind the concepts, Oatly is sharing how these small businesses express their distinct heritage within the neighborhoods they serve. But it's not just talk; the brand is putting its money where its mission is. By donating in each of these cafés’ names to Inclusive Action, Oatly is working to inspire the current and future generations of coffee connoisseurs.
Learn more about these featured cafés below.
Dayglow
Dayglow was born as a love letter to the international coffee roasters that founder Tohm Ifergan fell for while touring the world as a musician. Following his travels, Ifergan felt the need to platform these global beans and make them accessible to his community back home in the States. Today, the pioneering multi-roaster concept stands as a testament to the idea that cafés are the essential fabric of society, opening outposts across three cities—Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
Beyond brewing coffee, Dayglow is actively working to shift the industry’s perception, fueled by Ifergran’s belief that "specialty coffee is an industry built on Hispanic culture, but the people at the top aren’t often from that culture.” That’s why, under his direction, Dayglow is rewriting the narrative, platforming the undervalued Mexican stories and elevating the voices that have long been the backbone of the craft.
Fat Miilk
Fat Miilk is a Vietnamese coffee house leading the robusta revolution from its home base in Uptown Chicago, a neighborhood bustling with real history, immigrant families, and a new wave of creatives. Lan Ho, the visionary behind the café, saw Vietnamese coffee as the meeting point between old- and new-age inspiration within the industry. Fat Milk emerged from a desire to honor the bold, unapologetic, and often misunderstood elements of traditional Vietnamese coffee culture, characteristics Ho likens to herself.
The result is a brand where heritage isn't just an ingredient; it's the foundation that refuses to be filtered out. Her approach—straightforward—believing that Vietnamese coffee shouldn’t be rebranded to become more “palatable.” Rather, Fat Miilk takes pride in encouraging people to love the strong, sweet, and layered taste the way they do.
Bueno Days
On the South Side of Chicago in Little Village, the heart of the city’s Mexican community, sits the realization of a childhood dream—Bueno Days, a café inspired by the very neighborhood it calls home. Brought to life by Alma Blancarte-Mora and Cristobal Mora, the café found its community not because it's trendy, but because it's in their DNA. Having both grown up on the very same blocks where they’ve built their business, the pair is now finding a way to give back to the area that raised them.
Bueno Days call themselves a coffee “experience” company, which is fitting, considering they believe a café is much more than a transaction; if done right, it serves delicious beverages and, most importantly, acts as an anchor for the neighborhood. For the pair, flavor is one of the biggest creative forces, allowing them to explore and honor the duality of their Mexican–American identity through a specialty menu that strikes a balance between nostalgia and curiosity. Treating the palate as a canvas, Bueno Days reminds us that the most resonant flavors are the ones that honor where you came from.
Café Colmado
On Broome Street in New York’s Lower East Side neighborhood, lovingly known as Loisaida, sits the community's cornerstone, Café Colmado. A Dominican café founded by Monolo Lopez, Colmado was created with the intention to outlive its founder, determined to become a long-term cultural flagship for Latin communities across the city.
From the start, the concept has been rooted in authenticity, inspired wholeheartedly by the Caribbean colmado (the café’s namesake), a reference to the neighborhood convenience stores scattered across Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic that double as social clubs. At Colmado, you’ll find plastic-wrapped sofas (like in every abuela’s living room), real-deal el dominó tables, and Bad Bunny blasting through the speakers—details that, according to Lopez, prove they're not serving a watered-down version of Latin culture, but the real thing.
Provecho
When long-time coffee connoisseur Gerardo Ledesma first heard the word ‘Provecho’ (roughly translating to “enjoy”) spoken by his now-wife and business partner, Karem Alcanter, it stuck with him. He had always dreamed of opening his own coffee shop, and in that moment, the vision finally had a name. Fast-forward to 2018, and the first iteration of Provecho was born as a pop-up. Now the established brick-and-mortar café—proudly founded by Mexicans, centered on Mexican coffee, and rooted in contemporary Mexican aesthetics—takes up permanent residence in San Diego, housed in the historic old factory, Bread & Salt.
Building on their roots in the neighborhood where Gerardo grew up, the duo transformed a mere $100 into a sensory-driven café experience. By sourcing everything from stones and ceramics directly from Mexico to channeling the architectural spirit of famed Mexican architect, Luis Barragán, they’ve created a space that feels less like a café and more like an unapologetic homage to their shared culture. Provecho isn’t just serving coffee; it's putting Mexican heritage front-and-center for all to experience and enjoy.
Qreate Coffee
Despite the name, Qreate Coffee isn't your typical café. Instead, founder Quay Hu envisioned the storefront as a hub for Orlando’s creative scene. The goal was never to open a coffee shop; Hu set out to build something more, a malleable third space that blurs the lines between workspace, studio, and social hub (their Mills location even boasts a full production photography studio).
Growing up with immigrant parents, Hu understands firsthand what it takes to build everything from the ground up. “Hard work, discipline, and resilience weren’t motivational quotes; they were daily life,” he says, and Qreate is the tangible manifestation of that. As a trained photographer, Hu sought to design the café the way he frames a photograph: clean, thoughtful, and emotionally engaging. That’s why what Oatly’s doing feels different for Qreate’s founder. It’s more than just a partnership; it's a win for representation. “Our stories matter not just sales numbers.”
Desnudo
Brothers Juan and Sergio Trujillo started their café concept, Desnudo, in Austin without major backing or pre-established industry connections, relying solely on the belief that “coffee is love.” Understanding that the right cup can change everything, the brothers set out to tackle the supply chain's never-ending and complex challenges to directly support farmers whose livelihoods remain at constant risk.
This journey led them to the renowned Huila region of their home country, Colombia, where they partnered with small farms to cultivate their own specialty coffee strain. What began as a modest operation hand-carrying beans in a single backpack has evolved into truckloads of imports, anchored by their commitment to farmer advocacy and immersive education, both of which remain woven into the fabric of the Desnudo experience. The brothers aren’t just pouring coffee; they are cultivating a space that invites every customer to slow down, connect, and experience the same warmth their abuelas cherished back in Colombia.
Cafe Babu
Cafe Babu is the brainchild of three cultures. Brought to life by Shivani Darsinos, the Nashville-based café is a worldly melting pot that draws on Darsinos’ own Indian heritage, her husband’s Greek roots, and her Southern upbringing, sitting at the intersection of many traditions and cultural codes.
Envisioned as a multi-hyphenate concept, Cafe Babu was designed to move seamlessly from day to night: morning coffees, to afternoon meetings, to “its 5 o’clock somewhere” beverages. Here, culture wasn’t an afterthought; it was the entire thesis. Signature drinks like the house-made cardamom latte are more than just menu items; they’re storytelling vessels and the foundation of the entire Babu-universe. The home of DJ sets and chef pop-ups, Cafe Babu is a kinetic hub that defies the traditional café mold, inviting the community to shed expectations and lean in.
