Tico Coffee Roasters: Bringing the Soul of Costa Rica to Every Cup
She grew up surrounded by coffee plantations in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. When she moved to the Bay Area and couldn’t find the coffee she missed, she didn’t settle. She started roasting it herself. This is the story of Tico Coffee Roasters — and the Latina entrepreneur bringing specialty coffee, sustainable farming, and a piece of home directly to your cup.
There are businesses born from opportunity. And then there are businesses born from longing.
Tico Coffee Roasters was born from both.
Mariana grew up in a small family in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, surrounded by coffee plantations. Coffee was not a product in her household — it was culture. A ritual. A reason to pause in a busy day and be fully present.
“I often share that when I was a little girl, I used to wake my mom up early on the weekends, so she could brew me some coffee. It is part of our culture — coffee time is really an oasis in a busy workday. We pause and deeply enjoy this delicious drink.” — Mariana Faerron, Founder of Tico Coffee Roasters
When she moved to the United States, that oasis was suddenly hard to find. She visited independent coffee shops across the Bay Area searching for the flavors she knew. Most fell short. So she did what any resourceful Latina entrepreneur would do — she studied the process, researched imports, sourced the equipment, and decided to roast the coffee herself.
If she was going to do it, she was going to do it right. And she was going to start with the best.
Specialty coffee. Micro lots. Nothing less.
Tico Coffee Roasters is not a mass-market operation. It is a boutique company built on precision and purpose — hand-roasting small batches of specialty coffees scored 85 points and above on a 100-point scale, sourcing only micro lots grown in specific regions and farms across Latin America.
Like wine, coffee has scores and different qualities. Tico Coffee Roasters sources only specialty coffees — 85 points and above — buying directly from farmers with no middleman, no shortcuts, and no compromise on quality.
The teas are held to the same standard. Loose leaf only. Carefully curated and personally tasted — from traditional black, green, and white teas to more exotic fruit and herbal blends.
This is not coffee as commodity. This is coffee as craft. As story. As connection to land, farmer, and culture.
Built with her husband. Rooted in partnership.
Tico Coffee Roasters is a family business in the truest sense. The founder holds degrees in both Agricultural Economics and Business — a combination that proved invaluable for sourcing relationships, farmer partnerships, and building a brand in a competitive Bay Area market.
Her husband, a German engineer with an entrepreneurial background, fell in love with coffee and with Costa Rica through their relationship. He became a judge for the Cup of Excellence — one of the most prestigious coffee competitions in the world — which gives Tico Coffee Roasters direct access to some of the most exquisite coffees grown anywhere on earth. He brings the technology, the process, and the business infrastructure. She brings the roots, the relationships, and the vision.
Together they built something neither could have built alone.
From farm to Bay Area — with no middleman.
What makes Tico Coffee Roasters different is not just what they sell — it is how they source it. The founder travels to coffee farms every year. She walks the plantations, speaks directly with farmers, evaluates sustainable practices, and brings back not just coffee but context. Every bag has a story. Every origin has a face.
“I want to positively impact the life of farmers and their families and communities back in the coffee lands — that they are rewarded and appreciated for what they produce. And I want to provide a product that is sustainable and growing in harmony with the environment.” — Mariana Faerron, Founder of Tico Coffee Roasters
Today Tico Coffee Roasters sells online, on Amazon, and in specialty supermarkets across the Bay Area. Their products reach restaurants, cafés, wine bars, tea houses, and spas. And they offer public workshops on coffee origins, processing, brewing methods, cupping, and tasting — because education is part of the mission, not an afterthought.
A message for our comunidad.
For the founder, this business is personal on multiple levels. She wants the Latino community in the United States to see the coffee and tea they love with new eyes — to understand that behind every cup is a farmer, a community, a set of hands that deserve recognition and fair compensation.
“I would like them to know that this is a Latina woman-owned business working directly with farmers in different countries in Latin America. For every product I bring, I have thought of them — I have listened to what they like, what they feel proud of, where they come from, and what they would like to drink from their home country.” — Mariana Faerron, Founder of Tico Coffee Roasters
And for anyone dreaming of starting their own business, she has one clear message:
“If you have the opportunity and you are really passionate about what you do — if you feel deep inside that what you want is going to make a positive impact — then go for it. Be patient and have love and compassion for yourself. Being an entrepreneur is not easy and implies a lot of sacrifices. But here is where your passion has to be big and strong so it will keep you going despite the bad moments that will happen.” — Mariana Faerron, Founder of Tico Coffee Roasters
That is not advice from someone who had it easy. That is wisdom earned through the kind of daily sacrifice that solo entrepreneurs know intimately — and rarely talk about publicly.
Tico Coffee Roasters is proof that when passion meets purpose, something extraordinary gets made. One small batch at a time.
Support Tico Coffee Roasters
Shop: Visit ticoroasters.com to explore their full collection of specialty coffees and curated teas — or find them on Amazon and in specialty supermarkets across the Bay Area.
Attend a workshop: Tico Coffee Roasters hosts public events on coffee origins, brewing methods, cupping, and tasting. Check their website and social media for upcoming dates.
Follow and share: Find them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest at @ticoroasters — and share their story with your comunidad. Every tag helps.
Discover more: Find and support Latino-owned businesses at ShopLatino.Market — because every purchase is an act of solidarity.
#TicoCoffeeRoasters #LatinaOwned #ShopLatino #SVLVoices #JuntosAdelante #CreoEnTi #CoffeeLovers #BayAreaLatino
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