The global marketplace for coffee hovers around $23 billion, and many people from northern Canada down to the tip of Tiera del Fuego couldn't image each day without a cup from it. Coffee continues to be traditionally grown and farmed by indians across the globe, but many of today's giant coffee companies and third-wave roasters aren't of people of color (big exceptions are PCV clients Red Bay Coffee and Proyecto Diaz). That's why we're excited about our new loan fund client Sin Fronteras Coffee.
This specialty coffee comes from the autonomous communities in Chiapas, Mexico. The first available within the Bay Area, with each purchase, you support coffee producers and Sin Fronteras Coffee efforts to produce just relationships across the manufacture of coffee allowing for self sufficiency and opportunities to thrive.
José Rodríguez has Sin Fronteras Coffee, which grew from the coffee shop he founded in 2022, Akat Café Kalli. For that first three years, José worked to construct his clientele and staff, sourcing beans from PCV client Proyecto Diaz Coffee. By 2022, Akat Café Kalli was pulling significant profit, which inspired José to spread out a coffee roasting, importing and wholesaling business, which became Sin Fronteras Coffee.
José holds a bachelor's in economics and master's in anthropology, and called on relationships he'd formed during fieldwork where he built ties with coffee producers in Chiapas, Mexico. José agreed to purchase their beans in a sustainable rate and help connect the farmers to the
international logistics. Now, José has been importing their own beans for 2 years. With ties to farmers made, Jose has merged Akat Café Kalli and Sin Fronteras Coffee into one café and roasting company. Despite the fact that José had great and growing business success over the past 3 years, he still couldn't find funding from the traditional bank. So he approached Pacific Community Ventures for a financial loan of $200,000 to spread out a roasting facility having a second retail space attached.
We're excited to work with him to make his roastery a reality. José currently employees an employee of 3 with plans of hiring 8 new employees in the coming year. While José doesn't yet offer benefits, he's actively investigating profit-sharing and working with PCV on improving job quality because he grows. We're excited to assist him along the way!
