We just discovered this brand new coffee company and we knew we needed to share it with you because… Moms. Need. Coffee. Are we right?! It helps us get through each day wearing all the hats that we wear in motherhood. It helps up get moving in the morning, provides us the patience we need for our children, gives us a pick me up in the later afternoon, coffee is the “heart” of the home says the family behind this new-to-Katy business. “Makobo” translates to heart within the language of the native people of Orinoco, Venezuela. Local parents and founders of Makobo Coffee, Rossy and Ender Rodriguez, chose this name for their new business because for them coffee represents the heart of a home, a kitchen, a pleasant conversation or a treasured moment. We had the pleasure of trying Makobo coffee and enjoying it the last few weeks and Mamas, we are hooked! It’s such a nice change from the usual coffee brands we buy from the grocery store and to be able to support this small, family owned business is the best! Besides, they deliver their coffee locally directly to your doorstep for FREE!
We sat down with Rossy to learn more about Makobo Coffee Co, the inspiration for starting their own business and how they balance it all.
Photo Credit: You Know My Pics by Majo
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in the Katy area?
We’re from Maracaibo, Venezuela. We have been living in Katy from the last 7 years.
You are a parent, too! How old are your kid(s)?
Yes, we have a lovely 3 yr old boy (almost 4 yr old his birthday is August 15). His name is Gabriel.
What did you do before becoming a business owner?
We have always been involve with sales and customer development, we actually still work in the corporate world; however, we decided that it was time to put all that knowledge and experience into our own start up and what better in doing it with something that we love.
When did you start Makobo Coffee Co. and what was the inspiration behind starting this business?
We started with this project about two years ago. We took our research process really seriously visiting a lot of local roasters here in the state of Texas and selecting the best coffee available. After months of testing we recently started selling our products officially.
Tell us about Makobo Coffee! What are the products and services you offer?
For now we are offering 3 different types of coffee blends: Colombian, Venezuelan and Italian. Also, we have available merchandise of our products like t-shirts, and mugs are coming soon, as well as a few new flavored coffees that we plan to have by the end of the year.
Where do you get your coffee from and what is important to you when selecting the beans and harvest location?
Our coffee beans comes from different parts of the world such as Panama, Italy, Colombia, and Africa among others. We select the best harvest location of each country from where we are importing our coffee, that way we can assure quality each and every time we roast our blends here with a local Texan roistering facility.
Have you always been a coffee lover? When did that begin for you?
Coffee have always been part of our Venezuelan culture, and when we moved here we started to look for that familiar flavor with no success… so we thought why don’t combine both of our passions and make a business out of something that we love and that have been part of our lives for so long.
What does the name “Makobo” mean and why did you choose that name for your business?
The Waraos are the oldest group of native people at Orinoco -Venezuela. Within its language, we find that the word “Makobo” is translated into English as “Heart”, and this is for us what this brand of coffee represents: the heart of a home, a kitchen, a pleasant conversation or a treasured moment. Coffee is the perfect excuse for an encounter and Makobo the accomplice of a familiar flavor, that reminds us of home.
How can we order the coffee and can it be shipped all over the country? Do you offer local delivery?
You can place your order thru our website www.makobocoffee.com/selection
We do shipped all over United states and also have local delivery at no cost. (Katy, Houston Area, The Woodlands, Cypress)
Our website have free shipping promotion for inside the United States available for this month.
How do you balance being a business owner and parent?
Today with everything going on for sure it is a challenge. We have been able to have a good balance between work and being a parent of a 3 year old. At this moment, we are working mostly from home, we try our best to have a schedule that lets us work but at the same time take care of Gabriel. At the moment, if Ender is busy, then, I am with Gabriel and viceversa. My schedule is a little more flexible so, so far it has not been an issue.
What is your favorite thing about being a small business owner?
It’s great to be part of something that is starting from the ground up, building everything from scratch, getting to know the challenges that small business owners have day in and day out, but that at the end of the day, it is very satisfying see people drinking a good cup of coffee selected by us.
How has the Katy community impacted your business?
Katy is our home, the community of Katy have been amazing with us as a family for the last 7 years as well as business owners. Katy has a great potential for any business and we feel people really appreciate when a local product is good going out and supporting, buying and consuming your product.
Best advice for someone wanting to take the leap of faith into entrepreneurship or wanting to open their own business?
Don’t think it to much, start with what you have, and if you are doing it with love and hard work everything is going to fall in to place and turn in to a successful business.
Future plans for your business?
We want to reach as many Texan households as we can, our plan is to keep working hard to get the best quality coffee to our customers. We are planning to include different new blends and flavors for Nespresso and Keurig pods as well as moving our coffee to a 100% organic beans.
To learn more about Makobo Coffee Co. and to shop:
Website: www.makobocoffee.com
Instagram: @Makobocofee
Facebook: @Makobocoffee
Email: [email protected]
