Bringing Peruvian Organic Coffee from the Andes to the United States
| SECTOR | PERIOD | LOCATION |
| Food & Beverage / Export | 2020–2022 | Peru / Los Angeles, CA |
OVERVIEW
Cafe Daes was a Peruvian organic coffee producer and distributor founded in November 2020. The coffee beans were sourced from Jaén, a city in northern Peru, and the chocolate from cocoa trees in Cajamarca, mixed and refined to create a distinctive, region-specific product.
Peru is among the world’s top coffee producers, known for high-quality Arabica beans from the Andean highlands. Gillybert partnered with the Cafe Daes team to develop their export strategy and bring the product to market in the United States.
THE CHALLENGE
Organic coffee production carries higher costs, lower initial yields, and the complexity of obtaining and maintaining organic certification. Breaking into the US specialty coffee market from a standing start, particularly in a competitive city like Los Angeles, required market validation, logistics infrastructure, and the right retail partnerships.
Consumer palates vary significantly by geography. Understanding US market preferences and identifying the right channel partners was critical to a successful launch.
GILLYBERT’S APPROACH
- Export development: Gillybert worked with the Cafe Daes team to structure the export of kilos of product from Peru to the United States, navigating import logistics, customs, and food compliance requirements.
- Market entry: Organized tastings across multiple coffee shops in Los Angeles to validate the product with US consumers and generate organic demand.
- Feedback loop: Gathered structured feedback from each tasting location. At Postres Cafe in Bellflower, California, customers found the profile too light for their preference, a meaningful insight that informed product positioning. Two other locations confirmed strong market fit.
- Distribution groundwork: Used the tasting results to begin identifying distribution partners aligned with the organic and specialty coffee segment.
OUTCOME & IMPACT
Cafe Daes successfully exported product from Peru to the United States and completed its first US market validation program within six months of founding. The product found receptive markets in two of the three tested locations.
After six months of active importing and market development, Gillybert divested its interest in the company. Cafe Daes closed in May 2022.
- First export from Peru to the United States completed
- US market tastings completed across multiple Los Angeles venues
- Market fit confirmed in 2 of 3 tested retail locations
- Product positioning insights captured and documented
| Product | Organic Arabica coffee — Jaén, Peru |
| Market Entry | Los Angeles, CA — specialty coffee retail |
| Timeline | Founded November 2020 — active import 6 months |
| Gillybert Role | Export development, market entry, retail partnerships |