Azad "Alvin" Azadkhanian, the founder of one of San Francisco's first coffee-roasting companies, passed away earlier this week at the age of 73. From 1976 to 2011, Alvin's Scrumptious Coffee & Teas provided Sunset residents with coffee, tea and homemade food from locations on Irving Street. An Armenian immigrant who arrived in the city as a teenager, Azadkhanian attended St. Ignatius High School and graduated from San Francisco State.
A third-generation coffee roaster, Azadkhanian opened his first shop near Irving and 23rd Avenue in 1976. At the time, San Francisco lacked corporate chains like Starbucks and Peet's, and specialty coffee drinks were generally found in white-tablecloth restaurants. Azadkhanian soon established a loyal clientele of Sunset residents; his wife, Helen, cooked and baked daily, opening the store at 6am each day. Eventually, he began traveling to coffee- and tea-growing regions to source supplies and build relationships with growers.
After losing the lease on their first location, the Azadkhanians relocated to 1708 Irving, now home to Yummy Dumpling. In 2011, they closed their second café after losing another lease and opened a plant in Burlingame where they continued to roast coffee, blend teas and ship wholesale and retail orders. The Burlingame plant is managed by their son, Hovik, who also oversees the company's import business and coffee service.
Hovik, one of the Azadkhanian's four children, announced his father's passing on Wednesday in a Facebook post. "Alvin was the greatest man we ever knew," he wrote. "He was a great friend to everyone, and every minute spent with him will be treasured in our memories forever. San Francisco has lost a treasure."
In a 2011 interview about the closing of his second cafe, Azadkhanian thanked the customers and community that helped him build his business. "We were able to stay in business because the city helped us to make a living," he said. "I want to thank all our customers, friends. I am proud of this city and I love it."
Funeral services for Alvin Azadkhanian will be held at 11:30am on Monday, December 21st at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, 51 Commonwealth Ave.
