Media Feature

Ayala Coffe - TASTE

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At Ayala Coffee in Union, New Jersey, a cup of coffee is more than a morning ritual it’s a celebration of Filipino flavor, memory, and creativity.

Owned by partners Trixie Jose and Matthew Reyes, Ayala reimagines the café experience with drinks inspired by the Philippines’ vibrant palate. Here, espresso meets calamansi, tamarind, and Milo, while lattes take on the playful notes of pandan, leche flan, cassava cake, and jasmine the country’s national flower. Each sip carries a story, bridging nostalgia with modern café culture.

Beyond the drinks, Ayala is also about connection a community hub where Filipino-American identity finds expression in every flavor. It’s a place where the familiar and the inventive coexist, inviting everyone to explore the depth and diversity of Filipino taste.

The rise of cafés like Ayala goes hand in hand with the growing spotlight on Filipino bakeries across the U.S., where classics like ensaymada, pan de sal, and ube cake are being reimagined for new audiences. Together, these spaces are redefining Filipino food culture one cup, one pastry, and one joyful conversation at a time.

Featured on TASTE, Ayala Coffee joins a growing movement of Filipino cafés redefining what coffee can be fun, flavorful, and unapologetically cultural.

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What clients are saying about us

I recommend La Union Studio all the time. They are easy to work with, it felt like a collaboration the entire time, they listen to your wants and desires and really do a great job of incorporating them as well as their own styles to make it incredible.

Mi Kim, Owner, Raised Doughnuts & Cakes

What clients are saying about us

Trusting the process with this team is simple, because they understand the reality of running a business. We trust they will accommodate your needs & the end result will be special.

Maxwell Heigh, Founder, Heigh Connects Food Group

What clients are saying about us

Sergio and Sonia are a perfect balance of accessible and professional, of community-based and institutionally-connected. They can help bridge the often totally disparate worlds of small business and commercial development. Their design solutions to complicated problems are intuitive and straightforward.

Matthew Richter, Interim Executive Director, Cultural Space Agency

What clients are saying about us

La Union Studio has helped us connect with people from the community that we were not in connection with before this project, which allowed more people to know Chebogz's story and legacy. They also have your back when issues rise and they do it in a way that doesn't scare the clients. They care!

Patrixia Paraiso, Owner, CheBogz Filipino Food

What clients are saying about us

With Sergio and Sonia, you get two people who are insanely intelligent, incredibly creative, but also really patient. I really appreciate their ability to stick to a timeline, to meet deadlines, to continue to push and to reach a vision.

Gavin Sullivan, Owner, Madrona Bureau