The global market for coffee hovers somewhere around $23 billion, and most people from northern Canada down to the tip of Tiera del Fuego couldn’t image a day without a cup of it. Coffee has been traditionally grown and farmed by indigenous peoples across the globe, but most of today’s giant coffee companies and third-wave roasters aren’t owned by people of color (big exceptions are PCV clients Red Bay Coffee and Proyecto Diaz). That’s why we’re excited about our new loan fund client Sin Fronteras Coffee.
This specialty coffee comes directly from the autonomous communities in Chiapas, Mexico. The first of its kind here in the Bay Area, with each purchase, you support coffee producers and Sin Fronteras Coffee efforts to create just relationships along the production of coffee allowing for self sufficiency and opportunities to thrive.
José Rodríguez is the owner of Sin Fronteras Coffee, which grew out of the coffee shop he founded in 2013, Akat Café Kalli. For the first three years, José worked to build his clientele and staff, sourcing beans from PCV client Proyecto Diaz Coffee. By 2016, Akat Café Kalli was pulling significant profit, which inspired José to open a coffee roasting, importing and wholesaling business, which became Sin Fronteras Coffee.
José holds a bachelor’s in economics and master’s in anthropology, and called on relationships he had formed during fieldwork where he built ties with coffee producers in Chiapas, Mexico. José agreed to purchase their beans at a sustainable rate and help connect the farmers to the
international supply chain. Now, José has been importing his own beans for 2 years. With ties to farmers made, Jose has merged Akat Café Kalli and Sin Fronteras Coffee into one café and roasting company. Even though José had great and growing business success over the past 3 years, he still couldn’t find funding from a traditional bank. So he approached Pacific Community Ventures for a loan of $200,000 to open a roasting facility with a second retail space attached.
We’re excited to work with him to make his roastery a reality. José currently employees a staff of 3 with plans of hiring 8 new employees in the coming year. While José doesn’t yet offer benefits, he’s actively investigating profit-sharing and working with PCV on improving job quality as he grows. We’re excited to help him along the way!