Our Passion for Coffee

I was born right next to a coffee plantation, here in San Jose, Costa Rica. Even my earliest memories are attached to the coffee. I remember when I was around 3 years old to see my grandmother roasting coffee in a pan on a “cocina de leña” [wood stove]... it was the coffee growing in the backyard, and although its quality was not the best, I remember the delicious aroma of freshly roasted coffee filling the entire house. Later, my grandmother would give us a cup of “cafe con leche” [Coffee and milk]... (well, actually it was a lot more milk than coffee back then!!!)  So, in one way or another, my life has been linked to this delicious drink since I came into this world. 

It has also shaped out the history of Costa Rica for over 200 years. Coffee has been a fundamental pillar of the society and a driving force behind development and the national economy.  For this reason it has been called the “golden bean.”  With the development of its cultivation and opening of export markets came an economic, social, and cultural surge, and an improvement in the country’s infrastructure:

"The Federal Debt was paid; the postal service, first Government printing office, San José Hospital and San Juan de Dios Hospital were founded; the Santo Tomás University was founded, and the National Theater was erected. Also established were the first libraries, the opening and improvement of roads and the construction of the Atlantic and Pacific railroads. Development of the Banking system (in 1863, Banco Anglo Costarricense, Banco la Unión, Banco Internacional) helped small farmers with their credit to increase their cultivation areas. In addition, there was the Mauro Fernández Education Reform, the first higher learning centers and libraries, the Political Constitution of 1871, profound changes in the State during the 1880s and changes in the electoral code and practices.

Communications and infrastructure:  building of the San José – Puntarenas road, which revolutionized coffee trade since it allowed mules to be replaced by ox carts; construction of the Pacific and Atlantic railroads; completion of the National Palace and National Theater. The latter achievement is a symbol of an era, a way of life and of thinking, and one of the many results of the prosperity of the coffee boom.

Upon this historical, cultural, and economic foundation, the small and medium Costa Rican producers had access to a number of goods and services (education, communication, health) resulting from the commercial production of coffee." (Costa Rican Coffee Institute records)

This success story has always made me feel very proud. Today, as Founder and President of Cafe Paradiso, I still feel that strong bond with the bean and its aromatic drink. It's part of who I am, my family, my people, my culture and my country. 

That's why when I speak of coffee, passion springs on my lips and my face. And that is the main ingredient in everything we do here at Cafe Paradiso: passion. I hope you can appreciate it while savoring a delicious cup of any of our Cafe Paradiso blends. 

Pura vida!

Mayco Castro

Founder & President