Our Origin Story
It all started with a passion for the social impact of food and a fascination with how coffee & tea have the ability to connect people across cultures. We began as home roasters in 2013, selling at farmer’s markets throughout the greater Houston area and eventually established our first location in the community our family calls home.
Behind The Name
The bee hummingbird, also known as the ZunZun, is native to Cuba and is the smallest bird in the world weighing less than a dime. It feeds on up to 1500 flowers each day and plays a critical role in plant reproduction. In fact, the Tainos tribe, early inhabitants of the Caribbean islands, recognized it as the “Sacred Pollinator” and “Disseminator of Life”. As it thrives in the same ecosystem where aggressive deforestation for coffee cultivation occurs, this species has become near threatened. Shade-grown, organic coffee is known to reduce these harmful impacts on the environment, therefore, not only is the zunzun a nod to our Cuban roots, but also a symbol of sustainable practice in order to continue to enjoy coffee in all its forms without destroying our planet and its inhabitants.
The Impact of Organic Coffee
Organic coffee is shade-grown in its natural habitat, with coffee producers choosing this slower farming method to prevent deforestation and preserve a healthy ecosystem where birds like the ZunZun can thrive, control the insect population, and naturally fertilize the soil. Conventional non-organic coffee may contain residue from synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides that add to the risk of water pollution, soil erosion, and harmful effects on health. Becoming a certified organic coffee producer means that their farms have utilized solely organic growing methods for several years before receiving their certification. These techniques are much safer for not only the health of the coffee producers but also the entirety of the supply chain and the enjoyment of the consumer.
From The Producers To Your Cup
With over 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed every day around the world, coffee producers are often exploited for their labour and fail to receive adequate wages. We wanted to develop a relationship with the very producers who work hard to cultivate and handpick the beans that end up in your cup every morning and ensure that profits from purchasing their beans are fully available to them. We traveled to a few farms in South America to learn about coffee production while also building relationships with the coffee producers who graciously hosted us in their homes. Fair and direct trade not only respects the craft and hard work of coffee producers, but also enables access to fair wages, housing, health care, education, and entrepreneurship programs. We hope to continue to visit the coffee producers from which we source our coffee in the future!
Building A Sustainable Future
The ZunZun building is designed with sustainability in mind and entirely constructed with a conscious effort to reduce our carbon footprint. The prefab building is constructed out of insulated steel meant to withstand Texas storms and reduce energy consumption. The spout at the front of our building, meant to represent the beak of the ZunZun, serves as a watering spout for plants to flourish when it rains. Our Loring roaster is also one of the most “clean” coffee roasters on the market, utilizing less fuel and minimizing environmental impact with each roast. If you visit our cafe, you will notice the dozens of plants inside and outside the cafe meant to bring us closer to nature and purify our air - the perfect spot to read a book and drink a cup of coffee.
