With the goal of helping their customers brew a rich, flavorful cup of coffee, the Jimenez family is closing the gap between the Texas Hill Country and the verdant mountains of Colombia.
Every business has an origin story, a tale that reveals why and how it came to be. In the case of Caferros, the back story is also a love story.
Gil Jimenez—an Austin businessman who grew up in Kerrville—met his wife, Monica, in her hometown of Medellin, Colombia, back in 2008. Monica came from a family of landowners, and among the properties was a coffee plantation, or finca, located high in the Antioquia mountains in rich volcanic soil.
Eventually the new couple took over the finca, emphasizing sustainable practices such as re-planting trees in a way to ensure a year-round harvest and using mountain streams to irrigate the property. They also worked to eliminate pesticides, instead co-planting fruit trees with the coffee trees so that native birds would be attracted to the property and eliminate insects.
After Gil and Monica married in 2015, they relocated to Texas and welcomed a baby boy, Samuel, in 2017.
“You know that to my wife, Monica, and me, family is very important,” Gil said. “I used to think I was really close to my family until I met my wife. In Colombia, it’s their culture to spend time with family whenever possible. It’s very important to us that [Caferros] is a family business, and family takes care of family.”
The pair continue to oversee the finca’s operations from the states.
“I have adapted my current business knowledge in finance, project management, risk management, and my attention to detail,” said Gil, “[but] I had to study and learn about the coffee business, life, culture, history, and coffee production.”
Meanwhile, Gil’s older son, Jake, has taken on duties at the family’s new 2,832-square-foot warehouse off of Bandera Road in northwest San Antonio.
Jake oversees the roasting of the beans (a noisy but fragrant process), inventory, and shipping the product. He also brings his knowledge of digital and social media marketing to the company.
“I’ve had to learn everything about coffee and how to start a successful business,” said Jake. “To me, educating myself and others about the quality of the coffee we drink everyday was the best way to assist people with their journey to find the perfect cup.”
Recently a group of media professionals (including yours truly) were invited to the warehouse for a tour. Jake provided an engaging demonstration on the entire coffee-making process, from growing and shipping to roasting and brewing. He explained how the process in the San Antonio warehouse includes the removal of any debris that may remain in the imported, hand-picked beans, and guided us through the roasting process. Afterward he prepared several flavors of coffee using beans roasted the previous day (for optimal flavor), and served sample cups to us alongside sweets from Bakery Lorraine.
Jake’s passion for the family business was evident.
“My family and friends are why I get up in the morning and make the bacon and brew the coffee,” he said.
For now Caferros products are available exclusively on their website, where they offer a full line of items to rival any gourmet coffee retailer. Jake said the Caferros crew works hard to ensure that every package contains hand-picked beans shipped, roasted, and packed to ensure maximum quality and flavor.
“I want our success to be from our good deeds, our good character, and our good faith,” said Jake. “Every day our family works harder and harder to accomplish our goal to provide you the best cup of Colombian coffee.”
Pamela Price is a San Antonio-based writer and the founder of TheTexasWildflower.com.
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To learn more about the Caferros or to place an order, see Caferros.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Love a story about family and coffee!