Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491371
60 STiR tea & coffee industry international R ussians are not known for their love of coffee. The first imports arrived in the 18th century and for a time it appeared the tea drinking Russian Empire would embrace the popular drink, but a hundred years later coffee consumption per capita amounted to only 200 to 300 grams — most of which was instant. Considering this history, in the 1990s the future of a national coffee chain seemed questionable, despite forecasts that sooner or later Russia's 143 million people would awaken to the brew. "There is a parable about the two shoe merchants who came to Africa," said Chris- topher Tara-Browne, who as a young coffee-loving American found his way to the heart of Siberia in 1997 only to discover there wasn't a good cup to be found. "They looked around at the people. One sent a telegram to his company 'coming home soon, no one wears shoes here'. The second one sent: 'Urgently send everything in stock, there is no one wearing shoes here!' "I belong to the second type of business," said Tara-Browne. He decided to fill an empty segment of the coffee market and founded Traveler's Coffee International in Novosibirsk, a city of 1.5 million with a winter low of 50-degrees below. His first effort was a simple coffee counter in a pizza shop but soon he was sourc- ing and serving organic, Fair Trade, and Rainforest Alliance certified single-origin cof- fee. Eventually he acquired a vacant factory and opened one of Russia's first specialty roastery operations. Today the company operates 96 modern coffeehouses in 5 countries, roasts 20 tons of coffee a month, and produces 3 tons of frozen desserts. Russians are price conscious but willing to pay for quality. Cappuccinos and lattes are best sellers at 130 rubles ($3.20) a cup. STiR Tea & Coffee Industrn International recently caught up with Traveler's c.e.o. Tara-Browne to learn how his business has developed since its frosty early days. "I grew up in a country with a strong culture of coffee," said Tara-Browne. "Ameri- cans drink coffee at home, in a coffee shop, and on the way to work. I knew it would work for Russia." Siberia's Traveler's Coffee weathered the economic winter of 2008 to emerge as Russia's national specialty coffee chain Warming the Heart of Siberia Traveler's Coffee is now the largest of 80 coffee chains operating in Russia. NoVoSIBIRSK, Russia By Vladislav Vorotnikov