Created in 2019 by sisters Wendy Padilla-Madden and Katie Ellis, Santos Coffee Farmers is based in Western Guatemala. The company grows and imports coffee to its now seven locations across Alabama, including two Birmingham-based cafes, as well as sites in Gardendale, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Hoover and Vestavia Hills. Katie manages operations in Guatemala, while Wendy oversees the retail side of the business in the U.S. Here, general manager Jose Arizpe details his favorite aspects of the coffee business.
What is your background in the hospitality industry, and how did you start working as operations manager of Santos Coffee in Mountain Brook?
I sadly did not have much background in the hospitality industry. I just remember helping my grandmother with a house of kids in Guatemala. I grew up knowing how good it felt to help others in need. It fueled my servant’s heart. Going into the hospitality industry was a natural transition for me.
How does the atmosphere at Santos Coffee’s Mountain Brook location elevate the dining experience for customers?
Our Mountain Brook location is our “grano de oro” location, which means “grain of gold.” Our baristas are focused on our lattes’ perfection and giving our customers a great cup of coffee at any time.
What is your favorite menu item and why?
Out of all of our drinks, you can never go wrong with a Cafe Nutella. It brings one of the best chocolate flavors to our amazing lattes and gives it a small twist with our Nutella recipe. We like to play with our drinks a lot, and I personally make my drink too sweet, or that’s what my team likes to say. We are always making new inventions. At our Mountain Brook location, that’s where our team really shines. Apart from the Cafe Nutella, my second favorite drink must be our Cafe Maya. It always starts with some chocolate for me, but we give it a twist with our house-made maya mix. It mixes the sweetness of chocolate with the rich flavor profiles for a spicy kick down the back of the throat.
What food and drink pairing on the menu would you recommend to newcomers?
Our Chicken Verona has a nice, strong flavor. Pairing it with our Basil Lavender Latte enhances the flavor, making it even better. It is a great drink-and-meal combination. This recommendation together is my favorite. There are a plethora of options my team recommends. Another is our matcha brought from Japan. It is another substitution with the Chicken Verona that has earthy flavors. It’s amazing.
What is the best part of your job, working at Santos Coffee?
The best part about my job is having a new story every day that I can talk to my friends and family about. Walking in, meeting new people and learning to make a drink to the customer’s liking is both a trial and a joy. Every time I hear that I made someone’s favorite drink even better, that makes my day even better. Our team is always there to have a conversation with anyone and deliver the best coffee we can. Inventing new drinks between us is always fun and a challenge, and we invite anyone to come in and do the same with us! Having new drinks to make is one of our favorite things to do.
Santos Coffee is located at 2738 Cahaba Road, Suite A in Mountain Brook Village. It is open Monday-Friday from 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday from 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit linktr.ee/santoscoffee to learn more information.