Burlington coffee shop, Irazu Coffee has expanded its business by bringing a taste of Costa Rica to the campus of Elon University.
Five months after being introduced to Irazu to do a story about the effects of large corporations on local businesses. It was then that we learned about the joint venture between Irazu and Elon University. The shop has made an impression on the Burlington population with is high-grade brew and welcoming atmosphere. Irazu had also become very popular with the university’s student body.
Walking into Irazu Coffee feels like walking into your home. A large mural, portraying the back of a Costa Rican five colones bill covers the majority of a wall. A couch and TV are tucked into the back corner, along with games and jewelry made in the land of the rich coast. Above all that, there is Rossy Villalobos, who owns Irazu Coffee along with her son Rod Salazar. Her warmth and kindness makes feel as if you are part of her family the moment you walk through the door.
This inviting atmosphere has turned Irazu into a popular stop for locals and students alike, to relax and enjoy a quality cup of Joe and good conversation. As a result, business has been good for Irazu Coffee in recent years. At least the was until the economic downturn as Villalobos explains here.
As Rossy waits for business to pick back up at the Burlingtion location, she can turn to their second location now located in Elon’s Moseley Center to bring in more business. Irazu and Elon are into the fifth month of their relationship that started back in September. The idea to bring the coffee shop to Elon was the idea of Salazar, but as he explains the endeavor was merely a dream and not thought to come to fruition.
After a semester of being on campus, Irazu Coffee has been building a reputation as a relaxing and inviting alternative for students to gather for conversation or studying. Salazar says that the shop has something different to offer from the other coffee shops on campus as a result of their type of product and the way they do business by buying their product from local vendors who offer a variety of coffees from different parts of the world.
This local relationship with vendors isn’t only here in the area but extends back to Costa Rica as well. Ninety-five percent of the coffee that Irazu brews is from small, “fair trade” farmers around the world. In addition, Irazu also supports Café Feminino, a co-op of single mothers who grow coffee for trade and use the profits to support their families. The organization started in Peru and has grown from a group of 464 farmers to over 4,000 throughout coffee growing countries in South and Central America.
As a result of the high quality product offered, the coffee house is brewing with activity as students talk, drink various coffees, and do work on the half dozen computers located in the shop. This boom in business has really come as a surprise to Salazar and his sister Becky, when they say that, “we expected to do well on campus, but not this well.”
Salazar is really happy with the way things are going, as one can understand if they spend any amount of time in the new shop. The young owner, like his mother is inviting and inventive by the way he greets each and every customer and creates, what he calls “latté art” – heart and leaf shapes he forms on the surface with the way he pours the milk into the concoctions – building a bond and rapport with his customers and the university.
Salazar is very appreciative of Elon for offering his family this opportunity to do business on their campus and feels that the relationship between the two has worked out well for both parties as it provides a tranquil atmosphere for its students to interact and study.
The success of Irazu at Elon is a direct result of the friendly and easy-going attitude that Salazar and his family bring to the business and campus. This pura vida approach to doing business and treating people is percolating throughout the campus and community and is what will bring continued success to both of Irazu Coffee’s shops in the future.
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