I really enjoyed our visit to Café Britt today. The tour guide was funny and interactive the entire time, making the experience enjoyable. We learned a lot about the coffee process, from bean to cup, and about how important coffee is to Costa Rica. Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia when goats supposedly ate coffee cherries. Coffee later made its way to Costa Rica around 1750 and eventually became one of the country’s most important exports. It was also interesting to learn how coffee is grown in volcanic soil at high elevations, producing higher-quality coffee. Since Costa Rica is a smaller country, they have to compete in quality rather than quantity. The guide explained that the higher up in the mountains the coffee is grown, the colder it is, causing the beans to grow more slowly and become denser. Additionally, Costa Rica has around 112 volcanoes, including several active ones, which create volcanic soil that acts as a natural fertilizer. One thing that really surprised me was how long the overall process was. Just the coffee plants take about three years before producing usable beans, and workers return every two weeks to carefully pick only the ripe red coffee cherries by hand. In general, I liked their focus on sustainability because throughout our time here, we have seen how important protecting the environment is.

The tour highlighted how coffee is grown, harvested, and prepared, helping visitors understand why coffee is such an important part of the country’s economy and identity. I also noticed how Café Britt supports local farmers and creates jobs through tourism and coffee production. Even during the presentation, it was mentioned that during the pandemic, one of their missions was making sure their staff was taken care of as best as possible.

At the same time, I was able to see how carefully designed the entire experience was to make visitors spend money. From the moment we walked in, there were colorful displays, signs explaining the coffee process, and a lot of sample stations throughout the tour. Every stop connected back to why Café Britt coffee was of a higher quality than other brands. The guide constantly emphasized how their coffee is grown, roasted, and packaged differently, which made the brand feel more special and authentic. I also noticed how they used rescued animals on their packaging, explaining that if you purchase that specific coffee, part of the money helps support those animals directly. That was a smart marketing strategy because it made customers feel emotionally connected to the products. Lastly, the tour ended in the gift shop, which included more samples. The “buy 6 get 3 free” deals and all the coffee, chocolate, and souvenirs made it clear that we were customers they wanted to sell to. Overall, I think Café Britt does more to help Costa Rican culture than hurt it. The experience was definitely commercialized and designed to encourage spending, but their mission still felt genuine.