The number of coffee drinkers has significantly risen, and it’s not hard to see why. According to the BBC, Trusted Source Three cups of coffee a day 'may have health benefits' Moderate coffee drinking is safe, and three to four cups a day may have some health benefits, according to a large review of studies, in the BMJ. www.bbc.com drinking at least 3 cups of coffee may have health benefits such as increased lifespan and reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cafetano, a specialty coffee company based in Honduras, recently opened its doors in the US for the very first time in Pittsburg, furthering its farm-to-cup connection agenda.
Mirko Cuculiza, Cafetano’s owner, partnered with Carl Allison, a Pittsburgh-based entrepreneur, to bring the brand to the city, and both of them now co-own Cafetano PGH. Trusted Source The Best Coffee In Pittsburgh | Cafetano Coffee Roasters We’re bringing the Mayan coffee experience for you at our Pittsburgh Strip District location. Visit us to experience great Honduran coffee and food. cafetanopgh.com It’s, however, important to note that this entity is considered separate from the Cafetano based in Honduras even though both companies seem to be operating under the same model & brand.
A significant element of the Honduras-based Cafetano model is the use of high-quality arabica that has grown in a Cuculiza family farm located in Honduras. The co-owners have also invested heavily in the quality of their products, branding & equipment, and in Pittsburgh’s Strip District location, they use a 15-kilo-capacity Joper roaster that has been branded in black and yellow, which are the city’s colors. The roasted beans are either sold to wholesale consumers, online customers or are used in Cafetano PGH’s 2 coffee bars, one of which is used for the dine-in customers and the other one for takeout. Both bars have also installed Astoria espresso machines and Quamar grinders, as well as an Astoria Tempesta machine that’s located over the exquisite tile-clad bar.
The Pittsburgh Cafetano is the 5th retail location to be opened by the brand since they opened their first cafe in a small town located in the northern outskirts of Tegucigalpa’s capital city known as 21 de Octubre.
Cuculiza, one of the company’s co-owner, was given a certification by
IHCAFE
Trusted Source
IHCAFE – Instituto Hondureño del Cafe – Instituto Hondureño del Cafe
www.ihcafe.hn
, the Honduran Coffee Institute known as Catador Cinco Estrellas, for being a 5-Star Cupper, and also attained a barista certification from the
Specialty Coffee Association
Trusted Source
Specialty Coffee Association
The Specialty Coffee Association is a nonprofit, membership-based
organization that represents thousands of coffee professionals, from
producers to baristas all over the world.
sca.coffee
, both of which are known for their high standards. According to him, the program by the Honduran Coffee Institute took him 2 and a half years and was highly intensive. Only 50 people graduate from it, and as the name highlights, all of them are usually 5-star cuppers.
His wife, Rosamaria Cuculiza, also helped with the Pittsburgh location and was mainly involved with the shop’s interior design. She wanted to create informative and comfortable experiences that also had an element of fun. Some of the notable aspects of the shop include cozy furniture that gives the guests time to relax and take in the beauty of the artwork, natural wood surfaces & chandeliers that creates an amazing ambiance, and several pieces of art, including a Francisco Morazán’s wall-size mural that also includes the national mammal of Honduras, the national bird, the Yucatan white-tailed deer, and a Scarlet Macaw. Cuculiza, in one of his interviews, highlighted that even though the pandemic was just ending, they were getting started.
