Visiting both Doka and Café Britt today was an amazing experience. The tours showed us the behind the scenes supply chain of coffee. We learned at Café Britt that although they can sell to local ticos, the majority of their market is outside of Costa Rica. The type of coffee that Café Britt produces is grade one coffee, the highest quality. Since Costa Rica cannot compete in the international market with quantity, they focus on producing with utmost quality.

Locals do not tend to drink this type of coffee because it is very expensive. Most Costa Ricans have modest jobs and do not need to splurge on top of the line coffee. Most of the coffee sold to locals would be either grade two or three coffee, made from the beans that companies like Café Britt or Doka do not use. These beans are made from coffee cherries that are less ripe and dense. Café Britt’s target market are other countries because the citizens tend to have more money to spend on coffee, chocolate, and other delicate quality items. This company sells in the Costa Rican airport and airports worldwide due to high international traffic and individual interest in souvenirs and cultural goods. Café Britt sells many items other than coffee such as chocolate, baked goods, and espresso machines. They focus on a variety of consumer’s wants and utilize the Britt label to express quality of the products.

Café Britt differs from Doka since Doka processes the coffee beans all the way from growing to selling. They plant the coffee beans, pick the cherries, wash, strip, roast, package, and finally sell and ship. Café Britt buys the coffee beans already processed and they only roast, package, and sell the coffee. They have retail café’s that brew their specialty coffee and you can find their coffee in supermarkets. Doka does not sell their coffee in supermarkets; instead, it is available online and at the Doka Estate. Most often, Doka sells coffee beans to retailers such as Starbucks and they brew this coffee in their own way.

Café Britt distributes coffee to 11 different countries around the world. They seal the packages of coffee so that sunlight, water, and oxygen cannot interfere with the freshness and quality of the product. Once packaged, the coffee stays fresh for one full year, so there is not an immense concern regarding spoilage. Additionally, each package of coffee has a specific tracking number which allows the company to ensure timely delivery and proper distribution. If any products are lost during shipment or have quality issues, the customer can contact Britt, discuss the product with this identification number, and possibly receive compensation. Their delivery seems very efficient and since many of the products are made within the country because the items vary based on location, I do not see too many ways to improve. Café Britt must deliver their items in a timely manner so that the shelves are stocked and able to produce revenue for the company. I am so glad I was able to experience the supply chain and I cannot wait to see more local coffee producers next week!