cafe lobo

[cafekubal]

Hello,

I am just starting off. Any of you have any experience with the broker, Cafe Lobo? How would you rate their quality/prices/service?

Do any of you have a broker that you highly recommend?

 

[topher]

John and Kathy rock...not sure what else I can say...real nice people, great quality coffee and very proffesional..if you have any other questions drop me a line...have done biz with John for many a year..even before he started Cafe Lobo.

 

[cafekubal]

lobo

Thanks for the input. You do business with them? What do you do?

I am conserned about the future of them because they are not involved with Fair Trade. I just see Fair Trade as being critical in the future. Not that they are a barometer of all things to come, but even Starbucks will be %60 Fair Trade by 2007. I have thought that I ought to offer something Fair Trade.

 

[topher]

Do not worry about John going out of business...He knows what he is doing...about fair trade I will post a great article later....as to what I do I am a roaster for an online coffee company...we go through 60,000- 110,000 lbs a month...keeps me out of trouble.
:wink:

 

[ElPugDiablo]

Where are they located? Do they have a web site? How can I contact them? Thanks.

 

[Alun_evans]

I am sorry to disagree, but I am not a fan of Fairtrade as it stands today. The ideals behind the system maybe admirable...but your comments just highlight the core problem behind the ideal...it has turned into a marketing pitch and the ideal somewhat defeats the proposition that it is helping small farmers get a fair price .

With modern communication fairtrade should be superceded by "relationship coffee"...who needs to go through a 3rd party fairtrade organization when you can buy directly from a cooperative or a small plantation? The funny thing is in Indonesia there are so few growers who are covered by fairtrade and those that are are huge producers....not the 10,000's of small growers (many who grow and process less than 18mt a year...ie less than a container load) that make up the bulk of the coffee growing sector.

I can understand why Starbucks want Fairtrade coffee (this directly relates to my view that FT growers are big enough to provide good volume to a roaster the size of SB's)....but if you are a small roaster I really think relationship coffee is the way to go.

If you would like some addresses of good, small produers in Indonesia PM me....

 

[LiftOff]

Well said, Alun!

 

[topher]

no web-site
cafe lobo 888-677-1119

 

[ElPugDiablo]

Thanks, topher.

 

[BeanGrinder]

Cathy at Cafe Lobo rocks. She will take care of you. I call up and have no clue about what the current prices are or which bean is a better choice...she guides me along.

From what I've seen, their prices are fair and the customer service is great. It doesn't surprise me that they don't have a web site. I don't think they really need one.

-Steve