Nicaragua: Waking up to love

Up until one year ago I was not a coffee drinker. 

My dad brews himself a pot each morning; my mom cannot stand the smell. A college roommate of mine worked at Starbucks; anytime I visited her I opted for a chai tea. Another college roommate was ecstatic to receive a Keurig coffee maker for Christmas; I used it to heat up water for my hot chocolate. Whether it was fear of developing a caffeine addiction or some other silly reason, I just never was a "coffee drinker." 

Then my first Nicaraguan host mother prepared breakfast for me during my first three months in this country; she occasionally served me coffee (Okay, so it was 80% milk...but it still had coffee). The taste started to grow on me. Whether for better or for worse, I was eased into this whole coffee-drinking deal with something called "Presto instant coffee packets." Just heat up water, add the contents of the packet, stir, and sip. I quickly learned two things about instant coffee: 1. It is preferred for its price over its quality; and 2. Nicas love it. 

Although this country is a huge coffee producer, the average Nica is accustomed to drinking the instant stuff instead of brewing a pot with some quality ground Nica coffee beans. Some of the bigger and more touristy cities here have decent coffee shops (no Starbucks though; those all stayed in Mexico City). An observation my sitemate and I made one year ago when we were first settling into our town was that there were no coffee shops here (she was more devastated than I was, having been a former barista). No espresso, no cappuccino, and none of those other coffee drinks that I had heard of but had no idea of what they consisted.

My current host mother's coffee standards are a bit higher, and 9 times out of 10 when she makes coffee at home, it is the brewed-in-a-coffee-maker stuff. In December she proposed to me the idea of opening up a coffee shop in town, one that would serve quality coffee like the kind found in those bigger city establishments. For five months we discussed feasibility, searched for a location, created a menu, practiced making different drinks, and planned all of the logistics. Most of our planning sessions happened on a tranquil evening, with both of us lounging at home and a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen. 

And now are you ready for the excitement? As of this past Saturday, we have ourselves a coffee shop! Here are some photos from our opening day:  

It's still missing a few finishing touches, but it will continue to develop and improve with time. The opening day was a success, and the locals seem to like the menu. Obviously I both want and feel obligated to support the business; therefore, I believe my coffee consumption will be on the rise.