Challenging Miami's Cafecito Dominance – CoffeeTalk

Macondo Coffee, a Colombian coffee chain in Florida, is a testament to the power of Colombian coffee in a city dominated by cafecito. The 70-year-old founder, Fabio Caro, has a unique request for every coffee drinker at Macondo Coffee: try it without sugar. The freshly roasted Colombian coffee is prepared to be smooth, which has kept customers coming back since Caro opened his first coffee shop in Doral in 2015.

Macondo Coffee, founded by Didier Higuita, a fourth-generation coffee grower from Colombia, roasts coffee beans in Doral, Florida. The beans come to the shop green, fresh, and unroasted, then all roasted at the Doral shop. This ensures that the taste is consistent across all Macondo’s locations in Florida.

Caro, who emigrated from Colombia to Hartford, Connecticut, in 1981, met his wife Amparo, a native of Medellin, Colombia, and started various businesses, including a commercial cleaning company and a restaurant. He believed that Colombia should be known for more than just cocaine or Pablo Escobar, and decided to create a positive impact on the country.

By 2013, Caro’s cleaning company had grown to 100 employees, but the Northeastern winters had become more difficult for him and his wife. Moving to Miami was a positive change and a return to tropical weather. Visiting Panther Coffee’s Wynwood location showed Caro that a specialty coffee business could be viable.

In 2015, Caro opened Macondo Coffee, named after the town in the book “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez. He takes pride in educating customers about the different qualities of Colombian coffee, as Miami has a strong preference for Cuban coffee, which Caro believes requires too much sugar to enjoy.

Macondo Coffee in Doral, Florida, is a unique coffee shop that focuses on the process behind each cup of coffee. The coffee beans are imported from Colombia and roasted three times a week at the Doral location in an 8-foot-tall metal roaster. All of the coffee sold at Macondo’s six locations is roasted there. The chief barista, Diri Higuita, takes immense pride in preparing coffee and has participated in competitions for his work.

Specialty coffee is much more appreciated than it was when Caro first moved to Miami. However, importing Colombian coffee beans could soon become more expensive if the Trump administration levies tariffs, as the president has threatened. This could directly affect exports from Colombia and add more cost and speculation to an already volatile market. Caro hopes this gets resolved in a collaborative and diplomatic manner between governments since an essential part of the economy of both countries depend on an effective importing and exporting of goods.

In February, Macondo celebrated its 10th anniversary with an award from the city of Doral. Doral Vice Mayor Maureen Porras regularly visits the Doral location to order a mochaccino and croissant. She appreciates how people of different backgrounds come together there and the jobs the business has created. For them, it’s always great to highlight and elevate all of the communities we have. “It’s unique in that Miami is full of Cuban coffee places and this one special Colombian coffee place.”

Caro eventually wants to have 10 Macondo locations throughout Florida and is in the process of screening people who could potentially open a franchise. He is focused on working with people who value Macondo’s rich coffee and welcoming cafe experience. After the pandemic, businesses were closing offices and sending people to work in their houses. “Sometimes, you’re in the house every day and get bored of being [there].”

The shop’s rustic aesthetic — with burlap bags full of coffee perched on the walls and fixtures that look like they were carved out of a tree — lends itself to the environment in García Márquez’s book, and that’s exactly what Caro wanted. Through Macondo, he hopes to create a comfortable experience for visitors. “Coffee is the second most important drink after water around the world,” he said. “It’s an experience to have a cup of coffee with friends and family.”

Michael Butler, owner of Macondo Coffee, writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.

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