How it all started:

Diego Rodriquez, our Master Roaster, was born in T’HO, Mexico; The Crossroads of Maya history. Today people know this city as Merida, Mexico. He spent his childhood working on cocoa and coffee farms while his mother and grandmother fermented and roasted all day in the kitchen.

When he was 22 he moved to San Francisco In hopes of open a chocolate shop, but his plan took a pleasant turn when he met the specialty-coffee legend, Erna Knutsen, who introduced him to the magnificent wonders of the coffee industry. Later he was introduced to Alfred Peet, owner of Peet’s Coffee. Peet adored Diego and took him in under his wing. Diego has mention many times how they were very close friends until the day he passed. Peet left Diego a gift with a note that said: 

“You, Diego, really are a great coffee man” – Alfred Peet .

These two influences on Diego are nothing shy of a miracle. With their support and willingness to share their knowledge, Diego was able to host his own cuppings, open coffee shops throughout the bay, become a professional roaster, and finally, a Certified Master Roaster.  Everything Diego does is with love, passion, and hard work, which he says he owes to the people who taught him.

 How T’HO COMMODITIES was created:

 The Start of T’HO

How do we give back?

Yes, we have a passion for high quality coffee, but that's not all that defines T'HO.  Every day that you wake up and put your feet on the floor, we believe an opportunity for positive change awaits us all. T'HO wants to be a part of helping people make that change, and we decided to start our movement with coffee.   We chose coffee as our first product, not only because Diego, our master roaster, is a professional coffee connoisseur, but also because 83% of the adults in this world start their day with a cup of coffee.  And when you open a bag of T'HO Coffee every morning, you will find "T'HO ENCOURAGEMENTS"; a motivational card that promotes a positive change in all aspects of life.  We plan to encourage this change within offices, cafes, homes, stadiums, restaurants, and all other venues.

T'HO is keen on paying it forward.  We promote “No Waste” within our operations by using 100% compostable bags, reusable coffee tins, ship packages in used boxes (eg. amazon), and run our cafe by practicing many different “No Waste” tactics.  We also provide opportunities to individuals suffering from mental health who find it hard to obtain a job. We hire people who are struggling with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, overcoming drug abuse, ex- convicts, and homeless people. We want to encourage people who need a second or maybe even a third chance to start over and get back on the right track to happiness.