Local Flavor vs. Starbucks: Why Choose Ecuadorian Coffee?

The powerful Starbucks coffee shop empire arrived in Ecuador on August 15, 2024, inaugurating its first two stores. The first opening was at Scala Shopping and the second, a week later, on August 22, at Condado Shopping. Many people expected to see top U.S. Starbucks executives at the event, but those in charge of cutting the green ribbon were Peruvian entrepreneurs from the Delosi company, which has operated franchises for more than four decades in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. 

Although there were delays in the grand opening, the renowned American brand was expected to open its first store in Ecuador in June 2024, which generated great expectation among local consumers. The news was spread on the official social networks of the brand and the great arrival of Starbucks was also observed on billboards and inside the two large shopping centres where they were to open their doors, however, the alleged opening was postponed for two months, and until now the reasons are not known publicly, as mentioned by the portal Primicias.

But what is known is that  there were also “several young people from the upper and middle classes of Quito. They came wearing green sweaters, carrying thermoses adorned with the iconic Starbucks mermaid logo, obviously purchased on their trips to the United States. This phenomenon clearly reflects the desire of young people to attach themselves to a new identity different from that of their roots,” says sociologist Gustavo Estrada.

According to Estrada, the arrival of Starbucks has been an immediate success. “People have had to wait more than two hours to enter the coffee shop. Numerous upper middle-class people, especially young TikTokers from Ecuador's main cities such as Ibarra, Ambato, Guayaquil and Santo Domingo, have travelled just to buy the famous American coffee, take pictures, upload them to social networks, record videos on TikTok and share their experience with the whole world,” he describes.

Most middle- and upper-class young people throughout Ecuador, upon entering Starbucks, have sought to imitate the lifestyle of people in cities like New York, Madrid, Paris or Berlin, he points out. However, before Starbucks grand opening it has faced great criticism on social networks such as TikTok, where thousands of Ecuadorian customers who have consumed Starbucks in other countries have questioned the taste of the coffee and its high prices.

Adaptation of the local Ecuadorian coffee to Starbucks

The party did not last long. Soon, imported coffees began to be underappreciated by Ecuadorian palates, which are looking for more authentic and local flavors. Ecuadorian coffees, with their distinctive notes from the Andes and a balance between light and intense nuances, offer a superior experience in local coffee shops compared to Starbucks products. The watery and monotonous taste of its beverages failed to win over many, and several customers expressed their discomfort with the high prices, which are not in line with Ecuador's economic reality.

For this reason, Starbucks announced on its social networks that it would reduce the price of regular American coffee from $2.80 to $1.75, an offer that has lasted until today. Similarly, the coffee shop reported through various media outlets the sale of three types of coffees of Ecuadorian origin: Galapagos, Loja and the Coast; however, when visiting the Starbucks of Scala Shopping to verify this information, an employee mentioned that these three types of coffees are not yet available to the public, as they are in the process of review by the board. He also added that the coffees currently available come from Colombia and that none are of Ecuadorian origin.

The adaptation of the Starbucks coffee culture to the Ecuadorian culture has been unsuccessful, as the brand announced on its official website that several workers went to Peru to receive training to prepare traditional American beverages, instead of doing so in Ecuador, being one of the largest distributors of Arabica coffee in the city of Loja for Starbucks in the United States for more than years, according to Ricardo Arias-Nath, president of Starbucks in Latin America. 

Additionally, Starbucks mentions that its first store in Ecuador (SACALA SHOPPING) has a capacity for 50 people and a 140 m² store, designed with a mural by artist Juan Sebastián Aguirre Ríos. This mural focuses on the Amazon jungle, where a woman is depicted drinking coffee in a clay bowl symbolizing nature, which, according to the author, reflects the origins of coffee in Ecuador. However, it is important to point out that the history of Ecuadorian coffee and its great industry does not begin precisely in the Amazon jungle. It has its roots in the fertile lands of Manabí, one of the main coffee producing regions of the country, according by historian Ricardo Pérez.

This contrast between the narrative of the mural and the true history of coffee in Ecuador leads us to reflect on how global marketing, instead of adapting to local roots and learning more about the history of Ecuador, resorts to standardized stereotypes. A clear example of this is the idea that coffee originated in the Amazon jungle, a generalized approach in Latin America, when in Ecuador its historical development has taken place mainly on the coast rather than in the Amazon.

Despite Starbucks' rampant efforts to adapt to the Ecuadorian market, its attempts have been unsuccessful. More than a month ago, consumers have shown a clear preference for local coffee shops over Starbucks, valuing the authentic Ecuadorian flavor, low costs and of course the tradition they offer. The question is: Will Starbucks follow the same path as Australia and withdraw from the country, or will it stay in Ecuador?

Why bet on Ecuadorian coffee?

The history of coffee in Ecuador is not entirely clear, but it is known that the first crops date back to the XIX century, developing in the mountainous areas of the province of Manabí. Since its arrival, coffee became a key crop, spreading throughout the country. By 1905, Ecuador was already exporting thousands of sacks of coffee to Europe from the port of Manta, and thanks to these large exports the landowners of the large estates began to call it 'La Pepa de Oro'.

In the 1920's, coffee surpassed cocoa in exports due to its great value and aroma. Exports began to grow considerably from 1935, going from 220,000 bags to 1.8 million in 1985, however from 1990 onwards, the coffee sector suffered a great loss due to the world economic crisis. Despite this, by 2011 Ecuador once again positioned itself as one of the main exporters of coffee, reaching more than one million bags per year.

In the last few years, coffee production in Ecuador has experienced a decline. The National Ecuadorian Coffee Association (Ancafé) estimates that in the last three years production has averaged 200,000 quintals per year, equivalent to 15,000 bags of 60 kilograms, and points out that this deficit is not only due to insufficient production to satisfy local demand, but also to the lack of public policies to promote its growth.

Despite the ups and downs caused by insufficient production and the lack of public policies that promote its growth and diversify the supply of coffee; something undeniable is that Ecuadorians are true coffee lovers in spite of the new fashions that have tried to impose forms of consumption, since its arrival to our lands, coffee has come to stay and become a symbol of our culture.

The crops in our fertile lands have not only achieved that our coffee is recognized worldwide, but we have also created a ritual that consists in the preparation of the traditional “chuspa coffee” that normally the grandmothers used a cloth sieve attached to a wire, which acted as a support, which was used to pass the coffee, this ritual has been transmitted from generation to generation and has endured to this day in several Ecuadorian families.

Another custom that cannot be missed is the accompaniments that we used to prepare the humitas and the delicious tamales along with their ground chili, all these delicacies were usually made by hand on weekends with friends and family just a few hours before drinking our cup of coffee. All these traditions have had their space and now they have found their place in several traditional coffee shops in our country. 

One of the places in Quito that has maintained its tradition and loyal clientele, despite the arrival of foreign coffee shops, is the traditional Cafetería Modelo, located a few blocks from the Museo de la Moneda, on Sucre Street. Entering through the famous corridors is like going back to the traditional coffee shops of old Quito, the traditional flavours have not changed at all, and all these come to life in this space that offers a variety of traditional dishes from the authentic humitas to the “chuspa” coffee that is one of the favourite companions of many customers of the Cafeteria Modelo.

Since its opening in 1950 in the historic center of Quito, Cafeteria Modelo has been a meeting point for generations of families. Every weekend, people of all ages and social classes gather to enjoy its famous humitas and traditional café pasado. “I always come with my boyfriend and my family for the humitas, which are exquisite, and I wouldn't trade the café pasado for anything,” says Samantha, a customer who prefers to remain anonymous. She adds: “Here the authentic flavour of the coffee is maintained, while in other places the quality leaves much to be desired and the coffee is too sweet”.

Despite the growing popularity of international chains such as Starbucks in the country, Samantha, who prefers to keep her name anonymous, is confident that the Cafeteria Modelo and other traditional locals will remain part of the heart of the Historic Centre of Quito. “I do not think that Cafetería Modelo will disappear soon, although the new generations sometimes prefer what is fashionable and not stick to our cultures, this one keeps the flavours and essence of our traditional dishes that cannot be easily forgotten,” she reflects.

Another attraction of Cafetería Modelo is its live music, which accompanies its diners every night from traditional halls to contemporary jazz, the music is an integral part of the experience, attracting people from all over Quito. “The music here is unique, from the hallways my grandparents listened to to local jazz artists,” mentions Lorena another customer who prefers to keep her name anonymous.

Something that cannot be denied is that Ecuadorians are lovers of our music, traditions and above all of our local coffee shops that despite the fact that international chains such as Starbucks have tried to conquer the palate of Ecuadorians have not succeeded, mainly because we know that we are not here to experiment with new flavours of sweet and watery coffees, we decided to bet on our coffee that has not only made history around the world, but in local coffee shops where authentic flavours still linger, so betting on our coffee more than a choice of flavour, it is a decision to return to our roots and choose our own identity: is a decision to return to our roots and choose our own identity.