This is the story of how Cheechako Coffee came to be. It was a hot and humid day in San Pedro Sula Honduras, as it is a lot of the time there. If you have never been to the tropics, it is a whole other level of hot, 90 degrees with 90-100% humidity. I’m from Arizona so I can handle the heat. When we left it was 115 degrees. I was thinking, ok that is a lot cooler. When I got off the plane and walked outside, the hot humid air hit me. I was surprised at how hot it was.

It was 2010 and I had been doing business in Honduras for a couple of years by then. At the time I didn’t know that much about coffee, and to tell the truth I didn’t drink it either. I found out that Honduras was a major producer of coffee. I thought it might be a good idea to investigate the coffee business. So, I arranged a trip to the mountains to visit a coffee plantation.

We all piled into an Astro Van and headed to the mountains to an area called Santa Barbara. It is one of the well-known areas where coffee grows. In my opinion, it is the best coffee in the world. The elevation of San Pedro Sula is 272ft. Where we were heading, they grow high grown (HG) coffee which is 3000-5000ft above sea level. The scenery is stunning, green, and lush. The weather is perfect. Looking down from the mountains to the valleys is breath taking. Something you see in movies.

We finally arrived at our destination. They give us a short tour of the place, nothing formal. We look at the rows of coffee bushes and see the coffee cherries, red and green. I found it quite fascinating that the best place to grow coffee is high in mountains with steep inclines. When we are done exploring around the farm, we are invited to their home for coffee and conversation.

This is where the story gets interesting. First, I don’t speak Spanish and second, I don't drink coffee. The Spanish part is no problem. I have people with me to translate. Not drinking coffee is a problem. This is a small plantation, and we were invited into their home. It would be rude to say no to coffee at a coffee farm that you asked to visit.

The lady of the house, a sweet older woman, served the coffee that she made on a built-in wood stove made of clay. I was nervous because I didn’t want to let on that I didn’t like coffee. Everyone is sipping their coffee while enjoying the conversation. I go for a little sip of coffee, thankfully a little cup. Wait a second. That is good! I really could not believe that coffee could taste that good. From that point on I knew I had to get this coffee to America.