Editor ‘s Note: This story was originally written in Spanish by Mia Sifuentes, and published on Oct. 20, and translated into English by Rebeca Torres Jara on Oct. 22

When you think about coffee, it is very common to think about Colombian or Mexican coffee. But in Austin, however, Orgullo Coffee is making Honduran coffee known, with the mission of sharing coffee and Honduran culture. 

The coffee from Orgullo Coffee is cultivated in various zones in Honduras, and it offers diverse flavors. For instance, some have a traditional and balanced taste, while others deliver soft, citric, and fruity touches. But when exported to the U.S., these flavors are lost in favor of the daily coffee mixes that can be found in any other coffee shop. 

Orgullo Coffee found out about this and declared—as part of its mission—to share the Honduran variant to give it the recognition it deserves. Although many do not know, Honduras is the third major coffee producer in Latin America, and the sixth one on a global level. Marco Fuentes, alongside his wife, decided to bring Honduran coffee to the U.S. and combine these two cultures. 

Marco Fuentes was born in Honduras and moved to the U.S. at 11 years old. During college, his dream of having his own business grew. After many attempts, inspiration came to him during a trip to Honduras. He realized that the coffee he would normally drink in the U.S. was bitter, simple, and with no personality. Besides that, he could not find Honduran coffee in New York, where he used to live. “Honduran coffee is sometimes popular for a few months every year,” Fuentes said, “but after that, it can’t be found”. These aspects inspired the idea of Orgullo Coffee. 

The road as an immigrant entrepreneur is not always easy. “As an immigrant, one doesn’t have the example of the parents who are entrepreneurs,” Fuentes explained. Not having someone close to him to guide him, Fuentes faced many challenges. Fuentes then emphasized the importance of “finding a community to support yourself, and to help.” 

But aside from all the challenges, Fuentes spoke about the opportunities that immigrants have in the U.S. “This is a country where, if you commit to it, there’s a chance to move forward, and that is something that maybe in our countries is harder.” That is the opportunity that Marco took, and now, he hopes his story inspires other immigrants and Latinos, declaring that anyone can achieve their dreams. 

“My dream for the business is for it to keep growing,” Fuentes said, “and to keep introducing Honduran coffee to the United States.” That is just what they are doing here in Austin, where you can find Orgullo Coffee in many stores like Royal Blue Grocery, and Rosy’s. Orgullo Coffee will continue offering and sharing Honduran coffee with the community.