"When Frank Nguyen launched Academic Coffee in downtown San Jose nearly a decade ago, his goal was simple: bring a great neighborhood cafe to a city that didn't have many. He couldn't have imagined that nine years later, his small-batch, from-scratch approach would make him a national trendsetter -- all thanks to a banana. Last October, Nguyen and his team at Academic Coffee introduced what would become their signature creation: the Banana Cream Pie Latte."
""Originally, we were trying to come up with a different drink for the holidays," Nguyen recalls. "We did all this testing for it, and we actually gave up on that drink. But we created this base cream, and our head culinary expert said, hey, can I try something? She added banana to our cream base, and the whole team loved it.""
"TikTokers filmed their first sips, posted reviews, and shared the cafe's signature look: creamy lattes topped with banana-colored foam and cookie sprinkles. "So good!" one user declared. "They make their own banana cream with fresh bananas, so you don't get that artificial taste," narrated another, as she sipped on a banana cream matcha latte (which has become more popular than the origi"
Frank Nguyen opened Academic Coffee in downtown San Jose nearly a decade ago to provide a neighborhood cafe. The shop developed a Banana Cream Pie Latte using a fresh banana-based cream and a Biscoff cookie "crust" topping. Regular customers loved the drink and pushed to keep it after the holidays. Short videos and reviews on TikTok generated tens of thousands of views, producing long lines and new customers. Variations such as a banana cream matcha emerged. The drink's from-scratch ingredients and non-artificial flavor helped fuel broad interest and national attention.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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