More Than a Coffee, a Family Tradition

Every Hispanic immigrant has in his/her heart a part of his/her country and they all try to keep their traditions alive. Lucia Heros not only manages to keep in touch with her roots but she also gives other people the opportunity to discover her country through her business. "It is a family business that has a long story", said Heros talking about Café Las Flores.

Heros comes from Granada, Nicaragua, where her family, the Palazios, have owned a coffee plantation for more than a century. It is located on the Mombacho Volcano, in the Mombacho Natural Biological Reserve. It was only in 1999, when her father passed away that Heros and her two brothers decided to carry on with the family tradition and take over the plantation.

It was very difficult to make a living only from the coffee, so that is why they decided to go with the local trend: ecotourism. They created a sister company, Mombotour, which offers different activities in the forest. Tourists can have a Canopy Tour Adventure, a Coffee Plantation Tour, a bird watching tour and more. More than 30,000 people visit the plantation every year.

After those changes, they managed to develop their coffee business. For the first time in their family history, they are roasting and packaging their own brand, in a packaging designed by a local artist. They call the product Café Las Flores, in memory of their father's favorite land and in honor of the coffee trees white blossom.

The coffee beans are a 100% Arabica. Workers watch the plants grow, take care of them, handpick the coffee, sundry it on their patio, roast it and packaged it, all within the same plantation. During harvest time, more than 200 people come each day to help the five families who live and work daily on the plantation.

The hard work by everybody will soon allow Café Las Flores to receive the Rainforest Alliance Certification. The certification recognizes the efforts that businesses have made in terms of environmental and social work management.