Caracas goes California
Next stop: Stanford
Longtime Caracas residents probably know that Arabicá Café, in Los Palos Grandes, has pretty much the best coffee in town. But did you know that the good folks who own Arábica have been expanding … in California?
I was told by a friend that Coupa Café, a Venezuelan startup, is monopolizing the coffee market in Palo Alto. Turns out that Coupa is the brainchild of the owners of Arábica. Instead of expanding inside the country, they now own 6 locations in and around Stanford University, and one more in tony Beverly Hills. And what do they sell at these places? None other than Venezuelan Arábica coffee, packaged al vacío and shipped via DHL.
Next time you try a cup of coffee in Venezuela and it tastes like dirt mixed in with ashes, think about it: the only place you can find great Venezuelan coffee any more is in Palo Alto, CA.
That’s what happens when the government simply tries to crush the entrepreneurial spirit – people simply pack their things and take their ideas some place else.
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