We sat down with Santiago, owner of The Colombian, to learn more about their business and partnership with Full City & Supply…

Tell us more about you and The Colombian?

We are a value based company and everything we do here is based on 3 values:

We are professionals in everything we do, we work as a team and we do everything together, and we put on a show. We have adopted a lot of principles form Walt Disney where we want to create a good experience. Our mission as a company is to use coffee as a catalyst to create community. That’s why our company culture does not just happen, we have tailored it to what want it to be.

How did you get started in business?

We started by bringing coffee from our family’s farm in Columbia and by doing that we got to discover a lot of great things in the coffee industry, thanks to us getting exposed to the coffee industry we have met great producers and have created great relationships with these people.

How did you start working with Full City & Supply?

I met Leigh in the community

What are your favourite products they supply for your customers?

I get all my alternative milks and syrups and chai. We really like the 1883 syrups.

What is your favourite beverage on your menu?

The pour overs, they are always changing and it keeps the menu fresh.

What is unique about your business?

We are a value based company; we take pride and offer total traceability of our coffees, we meet our producer, we hand pick our logistic partners and we want to be able to make a difference in the coffee industry. We offer full transparency to our customers at the retail level.

What do you like best about owning The Colombian?

That I get to build community everyday 1 coffee at a time.

Can you describe your customers?People that care, our customers are socially responsible and they care about the products they support.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out with a coffee shop, what would it be?

Get a great accountant and a great bookkeeper (they are not the same) and tailor your company culture to reflect what you want your business to be.

How can people find out more about The Colombian?

Just come in and say hi.

What do you think the future is for community coffee shops?

I think that it is the only way of the future. They are going to be the gathering spots for every community.

To learn more about Santiago and The Colombian, visit https://thecolombian.ca/