About Jessy
THE NEW REVOLUTION FOR COFFEE LOVERS!!
Generating a new change for the new generation of the third wave of coffee.
From working in large corporations to venturing into the forest for hours with a backpack to
visit a coffee plantation, she's done it all. Learn more about Jessy D, president and founder of
Happy Place Coffee & Eats, owner of her own brand Jessy’s Premium Coffee®, and her
perspective on the role of women in the Honduran coffee industry.
Let's start with a little context.
Who is Jessy? How did she become the Jessy we know today?
Well, I was born and raised in Honduras. I am the eldest daughter, so that has its advantages :)
You could say my family was pretty normal, but also special in its own way. My parents come from humble backgrounds. They studied, got married, found jobs—the usual. But what made my childhood special is that they are both hardworking and dedicated people who devoted their lives to their work.
My father specialized in livestock farming, while my mother became a business expert. As a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother on her farms, visiting the farmers.
Seeing my relatives work with local producers, helping them steer agriculture and marketing towards more sustainable practices, was probably the first seed that was planted in my mind.
But it wasn't until much later that this seed began to germinate and grow into what is now my brand, Jessy’s Premium Coffee®, the brand we offer through Happy Place Coffee & Eats, a
dream come true.
On the one hand, I discovered that I was good at connecting people and fostering new business ideas. But, even more importantly, it allowed me to see Honduras "from the outside" It helped me recognize the opportunities my country had to offer that I hadn't noticed before.
Business suits, business trips, success... and then what?
Yes. And then, a spark of inspiration, you could say.
My husband and business partner, Udiel B. who is also the owner of Happy Place Coffee & Eats, and I traveled to the beautiful islands of Roatan, Honduras. The trip was for our 14th wedding anniversary, and we visited a small artisanal coffee shop. We ordered a latte, and it was a unique experience!
That idea came back to me once again! My husband said, "This looks great! And it is great!'" And I replied, "This is what I have been telling you about all these years".
We returned from our trip and I had the idea in my mind every day, every morning and every night. One day I was sitting at my job and I started thinking: Okay, Jessy. You're good at what you do. But there has to be something more. Something you could do that would make a difference for the people you care about.”
And then, suddenly, a memory.
“I had a career I wanted. But I knew I wanted to do something more. Something with a greater purpose than my own well-being. If I wanted to make a difference, I needed to get involved in what drives a ‘Latte Art’ coffeeshop, offering a new concept with different music, the best specialty coffee, and fresh food with Latin flavor!”
My dream doesn't end there! My goal is to expand my brand nationwide! To sell my coffee beans and introduce the new revolution for true coffee lovers.
Our 100% organic and Arabica specialty coffee beans are unlike anything else you"ll find in Virginia, Maryland, or D.C. A trip to a coffee plantation that I took with my husband and business partner Udiel B. to the city of Copan Honduras.
After a long day in the fields, while my partner Udiel B. was talking about the soil texture and other topics, the farm owner invited us to his house. We all sat down to drink coffee that himself had harvested that season. The whole family shared stories about what it was like to live and work cultivating coffee: the difficulties and sacrifices they had to endure. And all of this just to see their precious harvest sold at a bargain price. That image of their hands, calloused from hard work, but with eyes full of pride, is etched in my memory.
And then I realized. This isn't right. Coffee is and has been a key factor in our country's GDP. So why isn't the wealth it generates distributed more equitably? And more importantly, why are we depriving ourselves of even greater potential by ignoring the fact that many of our coffees would receive top scores if they were tasted individually by professional cuppers? Because I knew there was a whole world of specialty coffees, of the so-called Third Wave, waiting to discover and enjoy the quality we had to offer.
There it was, the answer was right in front of me. If there was anything I had to do to bring about change, it had to be related to our coffee shop. Then my partner Udiel B. and I began to combine our strengths, my experience and knowledge, and the great elements and experience he would bring to this new concept! Mr. Udiel B., owner of a construction company called Jehovah Jireth Construction LLC, a successful businessman, decided to join this great adventure of what we now call "Happy Place Coffee & Eats."
Mr. Udiel B. demolished and rebuilt that place where it needed life! Ms. Jessy D. worked alongside the architect on each of the phases. Mr. Udiel B. was in charge of demolition, construction, installation, etc. Mr. Udiel B. has dedicated himself to construction, but with a passion for cooking! It wasn't difficult for him to build the place where he himself would decide on the dishes for the restaurant's menu.
And then, suddenly, a memory.
But for Jessy, making her way in an industry as established as the coffee industry couldn't have been easy. Especially for a woman. After all, it's still a male-dominated world, isn't it
Yes, you could say that :)
Working with coffee in Honduras primarily involves dealing with men. But I suppose my experience with businessmen from my previous job helped me in this case. I never felt the need to behave like a man to make myself understood. When the men I work with understand that what I'm trying to do benefits them and they recognize my work, they relax. So I guess my lesson on overcoming gender barriers isn';t about acting more masculine, but simply about ignoring the fact that gender has anything to do with what I bring to the table. That being said, yes: you still need a bit of an adventurous spirit to embark on a 9-hour journey deep into the forest to reach a coffee plantation all by yourself, especially as a woman :)
Is the role of women in the coffee sector changing here in Honduras? And in the United States? It is, and it's exciting.
Women are transitioning from being housewives to becoming active participants in coffee cultivation. We are seeing more and more farms managed exclusively by women. So every time you buy a coffee at our coffee bar, remember this! You are helping every woman who works in coffee harvesting in Honduras and other countries.
An important factor that has contributed to this has been the tremendous progress made by Women in Coffee Honduras, the local chapter of the International Women's Coffee Alliance. But perhaps even more encouraging are the social changes that are taking place at what we might call a more intimate level.
What plans does Happy Place Coffee & Eats have to support women's empowerment in the coffee industry? Excellent question. And in fact, we are putting into practice what we preach.
We are about to start sourcing new coffee varieties from farms managed exclusively by women. By providing direct access to end customers, we will help their extraordinary coffee gain the visibility it deserves. And, of course, this will lead to better profit margins and ensure the true value of each specialty coffee bean reaches the farmers. Their hands don't lie! This isn't an easy
job! And it's not the end of the story either! It's just the first part of what goes into a truly exceptional cup of coffee.
Happy Place Coffee & Eats; business model is a harbinger of what mainstream businesses will look like in a few decades. Teaching young people the fundamentals of managing a specialty coffee shop platform, understanding what it truly means to be a barista, and cultivating a genuine passion for serving a perfect cup of coffee that is an absolute priority for our company.
