When you work or run a franchise café of a major chain, then you might not get access to the most exclusive lots or have time to brew them for that matter. Most of the time, these cafés teach you the basics that you need in order to run a successful business.
They offer you a chance to build your operational skills and create a loyal customer base and act as a spring board to the next chapter in your life. This is what happened to Loïc Perneau of Datura Coffee in Paris.
After successfully owning and running a Terres de Café franchise for four years, Loïc realised that he needed something else to further advance his developement and curiosity as a coffee professional.
From major chain to small boutique roastery
Taking a step back from processing big volumes and working with more mass-friendly coffees, Datura Coffee is on a quest to champion rare and unique microlots.
Loïc has always been fascinated by coffee’s incredible diversity of flavours. There are so many unique characteristics that can be found in coffees from around the world.
In particular, he loves the impact that nature itself can have on any given coffee. From the weather to the soil and from the altitude to the other plants in the viscinity, there are so many external factors that will impact your cup even before the cherry is picked.
At Datura Coffee, the sourcing is done with meticulous attention to detail, chosing only coffees that really have a story to tell. That is why for me, it was almost impossible to choose only one of the three coffees that Löic sent for our cupping.
It ended up being two. I keep saying that France is probably one of the most exciting places for specialty coffee right now and Datura Coffee is yet another example of a fine roaster that stands out.
In the medium-term, Loïc also wants to have his own branded Datura Coffee shop, something that would allow him to combine his love for direct customer interaction with serving the best coffees.
He still works as a barista next to his new day job as the head roaster for Datura, something that he says keeps him connected to the community he serves.
A Datura Coffe shop is in the works for the near future
Since launching in April of this year, Datura Coffee has won a lot of fans in many places and I am glad that it joined us as the GEMS partner for the final Coffeevine box of 2024.
As I alluded to earlier, I chose two of its coffees for this GEMS edition, which normally only features one. The reason is that I simply loved the coffees that Loïc sent me too much and couldn’t choose one.
The two picks that made it are a gorgeous and elegant Gesha from El Socorro in Guatemala and a sweet and beautiful Gesha from Gesha Village in Ethiopia.
The first is from Diego De La Cerda who runs the El Socorro farm in Palencia. This coffee offers light fruity notes and florals. The second is from the Oma block in Gesha village and is a natural processed coffee offering sweet and juicy notes with a floral finish.
Both of those coffees will offer a first-hand taste of Datura Coffee’s commitment to quality and passion for the beverage we all love. No surprise then that they were quickly sold out. You can find Datura Coffee’s current offerings on its website.
