Café Nahual: 25 years of coffee and spirituality

“25 years ago, the export coffee that remained in Guatemala for local consumption was almost nil. As coffee producers, it was something that had an impact on us and that is why we wanted to create a brand that would maintain this level of quality in the country and identify with Guatemalans,” says Stuardo Coto, founder of Café Nahual.

Having worked in coffee plantations since he was very young, Coto had the necessary knowledge to produce and offer the best coffee: Nahual Plateado and Nahual Dorado. The word nahual, typical of the Mesoamerican indigenous culture and applied to the brand, aims to represent “the spirit of the flavor of Guatemalan coffee.”

For its producers, the preference is the result of the recommendation of Guatemalans themselves, who have given it to fellow nationals abroad. Hence, “they write to us on social networks from all over the world so that we can send it to them. The greatest satisfaction has been the acceptance of the public during the years when we had almost no publicity and the quality of the coffee spoke for itself,” says the businessman and coffee grower.

From local supermarkets to hotel chains abroad

The acceptance of the product made it possible for Café Nahual to reach the shelves of local supermarkets such as La Torre and Paiz. It is currently sold in more than 200 points, including stores in the United States. In the cities of Miami and New Orleans, it is served as a courtesy to visitors in a hotel chain.

Another achievement for the exhibition and sale of Café Nahual is its coffee shop located in zone 13 of the capital. “The idea arose in 2018, it was our dream from the beginning to have a physical space to share with our clients. The concept is to sell specialty coffee in its different methods”, indicates Coto. His approach is to offer the diverse flavor profiles of each region and its varieties.

Nahual Coffee coffee shop it is located at 18 street 14-82 zone 13, Plaza El Triángulo.

A brand with a Mayan worldview

Reinforce the spiritual values ​​of the brand in the branding It was a task that began in 2014. “The initiative arises from having a completely disconnected packaging and brand. The definition of Nahual was not represented”, explains Irene Coto, manager of Café Nahual.

After a proposal launched in 2015, new research was carried out in 2017 regarding the Mayan worldview and coffee as a whole. At this point, the brand manager highlights the reading of “The book of destiny”, and the joint work with its author, Carlos Barrios, to “deepen not only the theme of the worldview, but also the design elements like colors and symbols.

The work required the participation of the staff of Café Nahual and its design agency Agnes Studio. “We had a reading of our Mayan cosmic chart, not only to understand our own nahual, but more about what this spirituality meant in our country. We participated in Mayan ceremonies with our work teams so that there was an understanding of the subject and we could better represent it,” shares Irene Coto.

As a result, hidden elements were included in the design of the new coffee packaging to represent the brand family, dates of birth in Mayan numbers, the colors of the Mayan flag, red, black, white and yellow (Energy coffee). , 13 eyes that symbolize the 13 energies and the serpent of good fortune.

Similarly, “a jaguar for the good fortune and strength of the brand” was integrated into the logo, says the manager. In addition, each type of coffee received a name based on concepts of the Mayan worldview: Spirit, Purpose, Energy, Harmony and, soon, Path.

International recognition

“Since I started going to coffee conventions with my dad, I was very struck by the fact that the only countries that won the awards were not coffee-producing countries. I decided that one day we were going to win” and the result was the recognition Best Coffee Brandingat the world coffee convention World of Coffee in 2019. Irene Coto explains that, in seeking this opportunity, they raised the name of Guatemala as “the first coffee-producing country to win a design contest in the Specialty Coffee Convention”.

“This year’s four award-winning designs demonstrate how extraordinary design can showcase extraordinary coffee better, appealing to coffee professionals and everyday drinkers alike,” Design Lab Best Coffee Branding.

Purpose, coffee to support education

As a family coffee-growing business, its founders have supported sustainability programs such as the San Marcos Volcanic Baccalaureate. The Café Nahual brand is integrated into the social initiative in 2020. With the pandemic, many donations that supported students were reduced, so “we decided to create a product where Guatemalans could support others and raise money locally,” highlights the founder of the company. .

To continue supporting the indicated educational institution, the initiative arises to donate Q5 net for each pound of Propósito coffee sold. It is also contemplated to publicize other needs that students have so that more people and companies support them to fulfill their dreams.

“Sharing the challenges, failures and successes with my family” is part of the satisfaction in these 25 years, says Stuardo Coto. Looking to the future, Café Nahual is working on the development of new products, mixes and experiences to continue satisfying its customers.

Café Nahual: 25 years of coffee and spirituality