Gio is a proud native and still-resident of the Boogie Down Bronx. Born to parents hailing from Peru and the Dominican Republic, coffee was the foundation of his home’s hospitality, each guest’s entrance greeted with a warm, “Quieres café?” From a young age, Gio put himself in charge of preparing the coffee for his parents and their friends (mostly so he could help himself to some, admittedly).

His passion for coffee grew throughout his childhood, and he began accumulating a small armory of brewing implements—first a moka pot, followed by a french press, followed by a manual grinder. Eventually, he got hold of a Gaggia home espresso machine, and, in his own words, “[I] was staring sideways at this thing. I’d never even worked a coffee job yet!” Despite his best efforts, and what felt like a lifetime of manual grinding, he consistently ended up with syrupy, flat, harsh coffee without even a hint of crema.

Eventually, he landed his first coffee job uptown brewing Stumptown at The Hilltop Perk at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Then, with a little professional experience under his belt, he finally made it behind the bar at Kobrick Coffee Co.’s cafe + speakeasy in the Meatpacking District. While he worked his way up to the ranks at Kobrick, he worked stints at Terremoto in Chelsea and Coffee Project New York in the East Village, picking up everything he could from the talented baristas holding down the bar at those spots.

Finally a Head Barista and Coffee Educator, Gio was able to take his years of practice behind the bar and translate those principles to his home equipment. Now, guests are still offered coffee the moment they step through his door, but he’s got the know-how and the skills to turn out a truly sublime cup of coffee.