Luis is our resident coffee expert. If you ever have any questions about coffee, Luis is the man for the job. In this coffee series, we will be talking about all the ins and outs of coffee, from where we source our beans to how we roast them and why.
Luis was born and raised in Guatemala, where he grew up on a coffee farm. His great grandfather, born in Germany, migrated to Guatemala to pursue the booming coffee industry. At that time, the Germans were planting and buying coffee farms. Being coffee experts, the Germans expanded coffee plantations throughout Central America.
Luis worked on the coffee farm as a coffee bean harvester at a young age. The farm had 350 workers and Luis was treated as if he was just another employee.
As time went on, Luis began working with a coffee mentor where he learned all of the ins and outs of coffee, from seed to cup. He studied how to grow the best coffee and the chemistry and physics behind coffee growing.
When it came time for Luis to go to college, he decided to attend school at the American University in Washington DC, where he became an expert in International Economic Policy. However, coffee was always his passion, so Luis and his wife decided to move to Guatemala to pursue a career in coffee.
Luis started working for his family again, becoming the head roaster and quality control analyst. He continued to learn more and more about coffee, taking classes at ANACAFE, Guatemala’s coffee association. Luis also received his Roasting, Sensory Analysis, and Green Bean Buyer certifications from SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association).
Luis’s wife is originally from Cape Cod, and because of that, they would visit their family here on Cape Cod during the holidays. So, one day, Luis stopped by Cape Cod Coffee to try our coffee, take a tour of the roasting facility and take some beans back to Guatemala for his friends and family to try. Luis was very impressed with the coffee, so the company always stayed in the back of his mind.
After COVID hit, Luis and his family decided to move back to the US, their final destination being Cape Cod. He came to Cape Cod Coffee looking for a job and started in the café at our location in Mashpee Commons. Luis instantly made an impression by creating our Coffee Around the World Program, building a training program for all of our employees, and a daily coffee trivia question for customers to enjoy.
The owners of Cape Cod Coffee saw potential in Luis and asked him to start working in the Roasting Facility. An opportunity came up to become the Head Roaster here at Cape Cod Coffee, and Luis took the job!
Great coffee is our passion, so having coffee experts, like Luis, in our Roasting Facility is most important!