Volkan Coffee Launches In San Diego To Bring Mayan Coffee Culture Direct To Your Doorstep
A new coffee startup, Volkan Coffee, was recently hatched here in San Diego, adding Mayan coffee culture to the incredible mix of beverage-related startups that make living in San Diego so tasty!
Mayan Roots
The origin story of Volkan Coffee runs through Mayan culture and the farmers of Guatemala.
Founder Anton Villatoro was born and raised in Guatemala City in the 1970’s, a time when the nation as in the throes of a bloody civil war. The Guatemalan army massacred entire Mayan towns. An estimated 200,000 people were killed over the course of the 36-year conflict.
Living the Adventure
Upon leaving his native country as a boy and relocating to the United States to live with his grandparents, Anton’s grandfather bought him a BMX bike at a Walmart, which would eventually ignite his love for speed and adventure, and an exceptional career in road cycling.
Villatoro rose through the ranks of the competitive cycling world quickly, and went on to represent Guatemala at the ‘96 Olympic Games in Atlanta, as well as various Central American and Pan American Games.
During this time, he also earned his way onto and raced – clean – for the US Postal Service team during the Lance Armstrong era. Frustrated by the doping culture that surrounded it and done with the grueling world of European racing, he hung up the bike and retired prematurely to pursue his MBA at Babson College, the #1 school in the world for entrepreneurial studies.
Entrepreneurship would be his next adventure, and the grit he learned in the cycling world would serve him well.
Making San Diego Home
Villatoro went on to found the Denver Marathon, which was sold to Competitor Group, producers of the Rock N’ Roll Marathon series, where he was in charge of event production for their dozens of events each year, and which prompted a move to San Diego.
He quickly settled into San Diego, feeling instantly at home with the laid back but very active, healthy culture. The love for that active, adventurous lifestyle is infused in Volkan’s brand.
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Not one to sit still and looking for his next challenge after leaving Competitor Group, Anton has used his experience and knowledge of the race industry to launch RaceHQ, an online planning and procurement platform for the race industry.
He brings the same grit and determination to Volkan and his goal of producing the best coffee you’ve ever tasted.
Coffee on Your Terms
With his father still living in Guatemala, Villatoro has very close ties to the coffee farming community in Guatemala, and travels there frequently to work with sustainable farms to get Volkan Coffee directly from its source.
Once in San Diego, the coffee is fresh-roasted to order in small batch roasting, then delivered directly to your doorstep.
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Although the civil war in Guatemala is long over, Volkan’s mission reflects Anton’s heritage, his love of adventure, and his desire to support the Mayan farmers and their families that produce the best coffee in the world.
Volkan Coffee remains committed to supporting the developing country known as ‘The Land of Eternal Spring’ and the beautiful Mayan people that live there one cup of coffee at a time, and they hope you will too!
Visit the Volkan Coffee website today for your first order!
