Covoya’s five-day trip through Honduras focused on strengthening relationships with coffee partners Boncafe and San Vicente, visiting farms, mills, and cupping labs to better understand the people behind the coffee. The experience highlighted the importance of collaboration, community, and long-term partnerships, showing how innovation, transparency, and strong producer relationships continue to shape the future of Honduran coffee.
In this episode, Mark and Todd talk about ideas around the sometime elusive concept of quality in coffee, discussing definitions, perceptions, and the impact of processing, roasting, and market trends. They share insights from their experiences and industry history, offering a nuanced view of what makes coffee truly high quality.
Once again the survey results seem to confirm that coffee is an inelastic product as individual consumption among daily coffee drinkers has remained in the neighborhood of three cups per day. While coffee drinkers might change the coffee they purchase, they do not, generally speaking, drink less coffee.
Mark and Todd talk about the world of cold coffee, exploring its rise in popularity, market trends, and the differences between cold brew and iced coffee.
Mark and Todd talk about the complexities and considerations of roasters entering the retail space. They touch on the historical context of roaster retailing in the coffee industry, the emotional motivations behind entering retail, and the various innovative strategies that roasters can employ to engage with their communities without the heavy burden of traditional retail setups.
Despite what some people might want to believe–they think I came here with just loads of money and I can just do whatever I want–coffee doesn't work that way. People can think I'm rich all they want. This is nothing more than hard work and making a few good business decisions.
Mark and Todd explore the motivations behind becoming a coffee roaster and the realities of starting a coffee roasting business. They discuss the skills and mindset required for aspiring roasters, the balance between the art and business of roasting, and the importance of learning the craft through hands-on experience.
The hosts look back at 2025: from prices to tariffs and all the volatility in between, they reluctantly return to some of the difficult days, a bright spot or two, and take a moment to look forward.
