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Minas Espresso Inc. owner Bruno Nobre has been a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May since November 2017.

Born and raised on a coffee farm in Brazil, Nobre learned everything from his father and grandfather. He decided to start Minas Espresso Inc. so he could share his Brazilian coffee beans with the United States. Now, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) rates Minas Espresso among the top 5% best coffees in the U.S.

“We should appreciate a cup of coffee from the farm to the table,” Nobre said. Disappointed in knowing that the value of a good cup of coffee in the market was losing importance, Nobre was determined to raise awareness and get at least every American to try his coffee just once. He knew that having tried it, they would be sold.    

The SBDC has assisted Nobre with banking recommendations, administrative assistance, potential customer research, networking opportunities and funding support. 

“The SBDC has been incredibly useful in providing support like getting financing assistance from a local bank,” stated Nobre, who serves on the SBDC Advisory Board. 

“Minas Espresso is truly building a name for itself,” said Di Maggio May. “Bruno is working hard to grow the company and hire quality employees. The SBDC and I are proud of Minas’ success, and we look forward to continuing to assist Bruno along the way.”    

Nobre founded the company to change people’s lives by producing sustainable coffee for a better world. It’s mission statement is “the best coffee doesn’t just appear; it comes from the heart and the relationships between us, our farmers, and our customers.” Minas Espresso is driven to show everyone the amount of work that is behind a phenomenal cup of coffee, and how a small community can help both Brazil and the Metro East area. In addition, Minas is now present in Saugatuck, Mich., with a standalone business supplying high-quality coffee to surrounding families and generating income for the environment. 

“Minas Espresso prides itself on being a producer of true specialty coffee, sustainably sourced in Minas Gerais, Brazil,” Nobre underscored.

The company’s coffee beans are imported directly to its Metro East warehouse, then roasted and distributed on-site and served by Nobre. The company has grown since exporting its first shipment from Brazil in 2018, expanding and increasing to at least two shipments per year, totaling seven coffee imports from Brazil last year alone.

According to Nobre, coffee isn’t created, it’s cultivated. He asserts coffee is made into something that tastes great, and good coffee relies on the sole effort of the barista, roaster and farmer. It’s about quality over quantity.

“Most big-name producers source their beans from multiple countries and have different facilities,” he shared. “Massive corporations care more about constant production versus the quality of the product. There are large competitors, like Starbucks, who perform well because of volume and convenience. Minas responds by maintaining its high-quality grade in specialty coffee. All the beans present in Minas batch of coffee are sourced from the same country, if not the same facility.”

As a first-generation business owner in the U.S., Nobre understands the work of transforming his business from Brazil to the U.S. He is willing to take strategic risks. Minas is now a roasting company with over 50 employees and is growing every day.

Minas offer $20 “Coffee Tours” which includes coffee tutoring (the knowledge of coffee farming), coffee tasting, and blending your own coffee to take home.

For more information, visit MinasEspresso.com, email info@minasespresso.com, or find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@minasespressoinc) for daily updates or to schedule a coffee tutoring.

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists start-up ventures like Minas Espresso Inc., as well as existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe, and Randolph. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIUE as a service to Illinois small businesses.         

By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating, and retaining new jobs, and encouraging new investment. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research, and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large.

To learn about the SBDC, contact the IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE at 618-650-2929.  

Photo: Minas Espresso Inc. owner Bruno Nobre.