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Maputo · Mozambique

Café Sol

Since 2007 · Tim, Kevin Kehus, Bob Maxfield

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Overview

Café Sol is Mozambique's first dedicated specialty coffee roastery, opened May 2007 in Maputo's Sommerschield II neighborhood by partners Tim and Kevin Kehus, joined by Bob Maxfield in November 2007. Kevin Kehus completed a roasting course in Sandpoint, Idaho — sourcing a $30,000 first-class US-built roaster shipped to Maputo — and the operation roasts Malawian specialty arabica as its mainstay under the 'Made in Mozambique' branding.

Known for

  • Mozambique's first specialty coffee roastery (May 2007)
  • Maputo-roasted Malawian + East African arabica
  • Sandpoint, Idaho-trained head roaster
  • 'Made in Mozambique' value-added export branding
  • Parent company Companhia do Café de Maputo holds ~25% Maputo coffee market

Why it matters

Mozambique consumes coffee heavily but had no specialty roasting infrastructure before Café Sol — the four tons of coffee transacted monthly in Maputo went through commercial channels, and the country's emerging Gorongosa Restoration Project arabica (Mt. Gorongosa, AMOCAFE founding member) and Café de Manica (2019, Mandela Manuel + Jenaro Lopez) both came after Sol established the in-country specialty roasting model.

Production

destoning
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head roaster
Kevin Kehus
color sorting
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roaster machine
US-built first-class roaster (Sandpoint, Idaho-sourced, ~$30,000)
filter equipment
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cupping frequency
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roastery location
Maputo, Mozambique
espresso equipment
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annual volume tonnes
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Café

Rua Beijo Da Mulata, No 98 Bairro Sommerschield II, Maputo

Recognitions

  • Mozambique's first specialty coffee roastery (2007)

Sources

More roasters