On a student group trip to Peru, we had the opportunity to learn about a local coffee shop called Velover. This coffee shop was inside of a church, Camino De Vida. The church campus was beautiful and so was the coffee shop.
After getting to order and try one of the most delicious coffees ever, we got to hear the story behind Velover. Interestingly enough, speciality coffees were not popularized in Peru until a few years ago. One of the challenges when the founder started the coffee stand (now shop) was explaining to people the different drinks: cappuccinos, lattes, americanos. Now these specialty drinks have become a lot more main-stream. Another challenge was the pricing. Since these specialty drinks were not common, people were not as willing to pay as much for a coffee. They were ready to close and leave the church, but the pastor wanted them to stay. Through a creative solution, they were able to more profitable through support of volunteers to keep costs down.
The founders welcomed our group with opened arms and ready to answer questions. Velover generously gave us a “taste” of Peru.
