On today’s trip, we visited Café Britt’s fantastic roasting facility, which was designed for tourist showings. It started when we met our very quirky guide, Jesús, who humorously explained the process of growing and harvesting coffee. The tour was very similar to yesterday’s tour, except it focused on the roasting process and spent less time on the growing. First, there were many fresh coffee and cacao plants throughout the tour, which implicitly creates the sense that all their products are incredibly fresh. Secondly, Britt tactically places stations around the tour to test their coffees with different roasts and blends. Finally, the tour ends with a walk into the gift shop, where all the coffee and chocolate are for sale. I believe that these three factors lead to the enticement of consumers on their tours to purchase the fresh and locally sourced goods to bring back home with them. Even though they are technically coffee roasters, I would guess that chocolate is their most popular seller in the souvenir store.

Café Britt is at a unique point in the supply chain, focusing on manufacturing, packing, and logistics. Compared to Hacienda Doka, which we visited yesterday, Café Britt is immediately downstream. All coffee packed and shipped at Café Britt was sourced from Hacienda Doka and transformed into commercially available and distributed bags. The bags could then travel to their warehouses, which can be delivered to e-commerce buyers or storefronts.

With over $100 million in revenue last year, Café Britt’s financial success is undeniable. Their making and manufacturing process especially contributes to their success, as their roasting and packing plant was visibly clean, organized, and efficient. Their machines used lots of robotics and automation, decreasing the time and, therefore, money spent on each bag. Additionally, Jesús emphasized that the reason we were not allowed in the plant was due to health and cleanliness concerns, which can be a large pitfall for financial success. Their making process seemed very refined, sanitary, and mechanically efficient. However, transporting coffee through the windy and difficult roads from the plantation to the roasters can be a dangerous and costly journey. To improve operational, financial, and manufacturing efficiency a step further, I think Café Britt, which now owns Hacienda Doka, should invest in a roasting plant at the Hacienda Doka plantation. Overall, this investment would save gas, money, time, and improve safety.