How the Salas Family Built a Coffee Empire in Costa Rica

In this episode of Family Business Stories, Lucas and Luna explore how the Salas family of Costa Rica turned a small coffee farm into one of the most respected names in specialty coffee. The conversation centers on the family's fourth-generation decision to vertically integrate—from growing beans to roasting and exporting—and how they navigated the 2013 coffee rust outbreak by diversifying into plantain and citrus. Lucas shares the numbers: the family's investment in micro-mills and direct trade relationships now commands a 40% premium over commodity prices. Luna brings up the tension between tradition and innovation, and the hosts discuss how the Salas family managed to keep control while expanding internationally. The episode closes on the question of whether their model can survive the next generation's push for faster growth. A listener-support segment appears near the end, reminding listeners that the show is ad-free and funded by contributions at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. #SalasFamily #CoffeeEmpire #CostaRica #SpecialtyCoffee #FamilyBusiness #Legacy #Succession #VerticalIntegration #CoffeeRust #DirectTrade #Agriculture #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #FourthGeneration #SustainableFarming #Trade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo