I don’t know if the reason I am so energic right now is because of all the coffee I’ve tasted today or all the chocolate covered coffee beans I’ve had. I sampled a lot of each one: first at Doka, and then at Café Britt . Doka is a coffee farm that grows and sells coffee beans to other companies. Due to the fact that coffee grown at various altitudes tastes differently, Doka has to report to their customers the location of their farm: central valley. The success of coffee farms, including Doka, depends on the weather and the amount of rain the farm receives. The company can do everything right to grow the best coffee beans, but if there isn’t enough rain to support its growth, it can result in a bad season for coffee producers. It’s fascinating though, to see if companies can find a way to decrease the impact of the weather on its business. It’s truly impressive to learn that Doka has a system to help them out in the not so great seasons. They sell a portion of their coffee beans, so that the extra beans they keep allows them to have a buffer for the off seasons. Normally, when coffee bean producer companies go through a rough patch, their customers are kind and allow them to roll over what they owe to the next growing season. I did not expect this kind of behavior, but then again, the Ticos have a more laid back business style.
The second company we visited today was Café Britt. They, unlike Doka, do not produce their own coffee beans. Café Britt buys them from companies like Doka. They use the beans they purchase to create their own variations and flavors of coffee to sell and export. They focus their sells more towards foreigners rather than to locals. The reason for that is because their coffee is gourmet and more on the expensive side. That is why the locals don’t drink it. In terms of the supply chain of coffee, they would be considered the manufacturer. On the other hand, the companies like Doka, where Café Britt can their supplies from, would be considered the suppliers in the supply chain. Now, what makes this manufacturing company financially successful is that they don’t just sell coffee, but they also sell chocolate goods and cookies. Not only that, but they also cater to different countries around the world, allowing them to have a wider range of customers to profit from. Last, but not least, their financial success comes from their pride in the quality of their products. This all starts with outsourcing from the right companies and purchasing the best quality coffee beans to create their products with. Without the quality of their sources, there would be no quality in their products. I believe this a great approach to making their products and their company, one that is well-known and respected.
Both of these companies have been quite successful. If I could do anything differently, I would add another security measure to Doka to insure that the rough season does not negatively affect the business’s profits. More specifically, I think it’d be great for the future of the company, if it expanded it’s farm to grow and sell other crops that can succeed in both the wet and dry season. That way, it protects the company when the weather does not cooperate for the growth of coffee beans. Also, I would suggest for Café Britt to go outside their comfort zone and market their products to a larger audience through means of billboards and television ads. During the visit, it seemed like Café Britt set most of their marketing tactics in advertising in retail stores, hotels, and in person sales. It might expand their consumer base if they branched out a bit more.