¬-ARCH¬¬¬s¬¬WWWSPECIALTYCOFFEECOM¬\¬11
to help the country. "My heart was broken for the people and
I fell in love with the co ee farmers," he says. " ey were hard
working people, who prior to employment with us were making
40 cents an hour. ey wanted to be reconciled with each other
but did not seem to have the means to make it happen."
In the eight years since Golden started his co ee company,
he's increased the amount of co ee beans he imports into the
U.S. from 2,500 lbs. of co ee to 170,000 lbs. this year—an
increase of 6,800 percent.
is co ee is sold through Land of a ousand Hills'
corporate store; four licensed stores in Georgia and Virginia;
through some 60 cafes that buy the product from Golden;
at about 1,000 churches; at Whole Foods; and through the
company's internet business.
To add to the character of the co ee, much of it is sold under
Rwandan names. Vooba Vooba means 'quickly quickly' in
Kinyarwanda, the primary and historic language of Rwanda,
for example, and Kira Ikawa means 'dark.'
e goal is to keep growing, Golden says. He'd like to have
more licensed cafes, and to expand to other places such as
Rwanda, El Salvador, Mexico, Latin America or South America.
He'd also like to grow his online business.
He's not only keeping the farmers' businesses alive, but he's
paying fair trade prices or better. But he wouldn't be serving
this co ee if it weren't good. " e quality of the co ee has
continued to improve, to where Rwanda has some of the best
co ee in the world," he says. "And if we don't have the specialty
co ee folks rave about they're not going to buy a second cup
from us."
Community is another thing that draws customers to
Land of a ousand Hills co ee shops and most beverages
are consumed on premises, not taken out. e corporate
store does not have a drive-through, but it does have baristas
who remember customers' names, live music on Fridays and
Saturdays, a patio and replaces.
And the understanding of the Rwandan plight is also subtly
known through the stores.
All licensees train with Golden and during that time he
organizes Skype calls with some of the farmers in Rwanda
"so we connect the café owner with the co ee farm." It is very
important that licensees understand what happened in Rwanda,
he says, "because for us co ee is not a commodity. It is a means
of building community and enjoying the roots of our farmers,
friends, and neighbors. Together, by telling their story we are
making this global village a little more connected."
at's not all Golden does while he trains new licensees. He
helps them nd roasters and a story behind their shop and its
place in the community; helps with the café layout, the design
of the co ee bar; training the baristas; the equipment; their
vision and their business strategy; social media and marketing.
"We can help that business owner realize their dream, and do
it with fewer mistakes," he says.
And the licensees and employees all work there because
they care. "Nobody works just for the money; they're here for
the mission," Golden adds. SCR
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