2026 Commonplace Coffee Origin Trip: Honduras

INTRODUCTION

In late February of 2026, Commonplace Coffee sent our Green Buyer, Vikki Harris, and Mexican War Streets Manager, Frank Battista, on an origin trip with Cima Café in Honduras. Frank and Vikki traveled throughout the mountainous western regions of Honduras to visit with producers, tour their farms, sample coffees, and build relationships.

These two had an incredible trip with Cima and this blog will take you day by day on their journey through the country!

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DAY 1: Arriving in Honduras (Comayagua)

The Commonplace crew had a very early start to the 1st day of this journey, with an international flight out of Pittsburgh at 6AM. (This didn’t stop them from visiting the newest Cafe Conmigo location that recently opened in the Pittsburgh International Airport and sharing a 5am coffee with a Commonplace regular!) After 2 quick flights, Frank and Vikki landed in Palmerola - a town just outside of Honduras’ capital city, Tegucigalpa - around midday.

Here they joined several members of Cima’s team and 4 other coffee professionals from Chicago and Pittsburgh (shout-out to Dustin from Aspen Coffee Co.!). Together, they loaded up in 2 vehicles to begin their journey through the mountains of Honduras. Their first destination was Marcala, a small town within La Paz; this is where they spent the first 2 days of the trip. Before turning in for the night, the team visited Aroma Cafe (overseen by Nancy Hernandez) for coffee and pastries. Aside from roasting and training at the cafe, Nancy is also an incredibly talented coffee producer for Finca Jazmin. She shared stellar coffees and delicious pastries with the team before bed.

PHOTO 1: Vikki and Frank at Cafe Conmigo in the Pittsburgh International Airport.

PHOTO 2: A photo Vikki and Frank took while on their flight to Honduras.
PHOTO 3: Frank and Vikki posing for a photo with Nancy and Arturo Hernandez at Aroma Cafe.

Throughout the trip, this group would come to enjoy a number of baleadas (an iconic Honduran breakfast food), cup dozens of coffees, meet lots of new people, and more.

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DAY 2: Diving In (Marcala, La Paz)

PHOTO 1: Frank and Vikki smiling for a photo at Finca La Salvaje.

PHOTO 2: A scenic photo of Finca La Salvaje, captured by Vikki.

PHOTO 3: A group photo captured during a cookout at Finca La Joya.

PHOTO 4: A group captured at a waterfall in Finca La Joya.

PHOTO 5: A photo of Vikki and Frank learning about the Amaya's processing systems.

"My first sight of long raised beds filled with drying cherries, the smell of fermenting fruit, and the feeling of running hands through drying coffee, was remarkable. I wish I could capture that moment and replay it."

- Vikki, on touring the Amaya's processing facility

After a baleada breakfast, the crew joined a quick cupping session in Cima’s lab across the road to calibrate for future tastings during the trip. Then, they were off to Finca La Salvaje and Finca San Isidro - two impressive farms overseen by the reigning Honduran Cup of Excellence winner, Fabio Caballero Jr., and his grandfather, don Fabio Caballero!

The Caballeros are a family of coffee excellence in Honduras - Fabio Jr. is following in the footsteps of some of the most influential and talented coffee producers ever. It is undeniable that some of the best coffees in all of Honduras are grown by the Caballeros, and having this opportunity to spend time with the 2 of them, learn from them and witness these two farms in person was a truly special and eye-opening experience. La Salvaje in particular lives up to its name: the farm is wild and untamed, extremely steep and challenging to traverse, as well as a haven (with a natural spring!) for local biodiversity. The group got to snack on cherries from the very same Java trees that produced Commonplace’s La Salvaje coffee release, offered as Vikki’s Roaster’s Choice coffee in early 2026!

Next, the group made their way to a riverside cookout at Finca La Joya. This farm is overseen by Carlos Amaya and his father, don Juan Carlos Amaya. Though they did not get to experience a full tour of the farm, they had an incredible time recharging over a once in a lifetime meal by a beautiful river that cuts through the farm. They did receive aproper tour of the Amaya’s processing facility, however, and Carlos - an expert in post-harvest processing - shared a wealth of information about coffee processing and fermentation.

They wrapped up the day with an evening cupping back at the Cima lab, and a large dinner at a local hidden gem restaurant in Marcala.

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DAY 3: The Other Side of the Coin (Marcala, La Paz)

Day 3 started at the Caballero’s processing facility. The group got to witness firsthand the fermentation barrels bubbling, drying beds lined with ripe cherries and seeds covered in fruit, and a mountain of fermenting, pulped cherries next to their de-pulper.

They were also promised by don Fabio to have the best baleadas in Marcala (perhaps in all of Honduras). While they waited for breakfast, Fabio Jr. made the group some unbelievable coffees from their 2025 harvest (including the coffee that won Honduras Cup of Excellence that year!). All of this took place under a gorgeous pavilion tucked into a patch of trees, right in between the processing facility and don Fabio’s house.

PHOTO 1: Natural process drying on raised beds at the Caballero's processing facility.

PHOTO 2: Favio Jr. brewing coffee under a gazebo at the Caballero's processing facilities.

"Don Fabio was not kidding. In my opinion, the baleadas we had here were the best on the trip."

- Vikki

"These interactions with the Caballeros were incredibly special as they not only provided the opportunity to witness a dear colleague in Vikki experience the career milestone of meeting coffee at origin for the first time but to experience one of my own. While touring the Caballeros’ facility Don Fabio welcomed myself and a few others to the porch of his hacienda. Hanging on a wall were the burlap sacks of his prior C.O.E. coffees. Among them was a selection that I had worked with in my first cafe job in 2005. It was a true full circle moment having the privilege of now stewarding coffee produced by his grandson 20 years later."

- Frank, on meeting the Caballeros and touring their facilities

PHOTO 1: Don Victor speaking to the group about his farm, Finca Margarita.

PHOTO 2: A honey tasting, with all honeys produced at Finca Margarita.

Finca Margarita, overseen by don Victor Contreras, was the next stop - this was a completely different farm experience than any other on the trip. They started with a background on don Victor’s philosophy, beliefs and lived experiences in holistic farming and how he approaches the health of his farm. One example: don Victor grinds up minerals commonly found in soil from his farm and replenishes/feeds the earth that provides him with his livelihood.

Don Victor also shared another unique passion of his: beekeeping and honey! The group tasted loads of natural honeys he had collected, all of them being from different native plants and flowers to his farm. Some were also aged, featuring incredibly unique and interesting umami flavor profiles reminiscent of soy. Afterwards, the group attended a quick tour of his farm, which was incredibly healthy: vivid green plants, blooming flowers and ripe banana trees sprinkled throughout the farm. The paths were unkept and every plant and animal was intertwined harmoniously with his coffee production. It was a really magical experience.

"Don Victor is truly an inspiration in demonstrating what connection to and stewardship of the natural world can look like and mean in terms of results for the health of the land and those of us who call it home. And I appreciate that he conveyed that, like any deep relationship, it isn’t always easy but the work is worth it."

- Frank, on meeting and speaking with don Victor

After parting ways with don Victor, it was time for the group to make their way to Cecilia Quan’s farm: Finca Deborah! The aesthetics and vibe of this farm closely matched what one might envision when imagining a coffee farm: neat rows of coffee trees, a well maintained processing facility, and a nice stone path that leads you to a clearing lined with drying beds, a gazebo, and a patio - all with an unbelievable view. Their time with Cecilia was a real treat - she brewed delicious fresh crop coffees for the group to try and shared warm pastelitos de fruta tropical (tropical fruit pastries) that absolutely blew them away.

After Cecilia’s, the group cupped one last time at the Cima lab in Marcala; this cupping featured coffees from local producer and Cima employee, Nelson Dominguez. Though the group didn’t get to visit his farm, El Trueno, they were lucky enough to spend a considerable amount of time with him during the trip due to his work as a coffee quality evaluator with Cima. Nelson is an excellent coffee producer; Vikki was so blown away by one of his coffees, they plan to begin a purchasing relationship with him and Commonplace in the near future!

After this, the group packed up and started a long drive to Gracias, Lempira, where they would start the next day of the trip.

PHOTO 1: Raised drying beds at Cecilia Quan's farm, Finca Deborah.

PHOTO 2: Frank and Vikki posing for a photo at Finca Deborah.

PHOTO 3: Nelson Dominguez speaking to the group about drying.

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DAY 4: Finca Juanita & Cafe La Posada Aragon (Lepaera/Lempira)

PHOTO 1: don Roberto listening to a speaker at Cafe La Posada Aragon.

PHOTO 2: The exterior of don Roberto's lab, Cafe La Posada Aragon.

PHOTO 3: don Roberto and Vikki posing for a silly photo in Cafe La Posada Aragon.

If you have ever heard our Green Buyer, Vikki, talk about Honduran coffee, you’ve almost certainly heard them talk about a coffee producer by the name of Roberto Aragon. Commonplace was first introduced to don Roberto’s coffee by Andrew Delgado from Dynamic Coffee back in early 2023, wherein we purchased coffees from his 2022 and 2023 harvests. We’ve been purchasing from him every year since. The entirety of day 4 took place visiting don Roberto’s farm, Finca Juanita, and his coffee lab, Cafe La Posada Aragon, in the mountains near Lepaera.

Don Roberto inherited Finca Juanita from his father, Marco Antonio Aragon, in 2016. In a tragically poetic coincidence, the year that his father passed away was also the first year he harvested coffee at Juanita. While don Roberto is a second generation coffee grower, he did not have an abundance of experience working with coffee before his inheritance. Up until beginning his journey as a coffee producer, he actually studied psychology and worked as a marriage counselor to learn the answer to the question of (in his own words) “Why does love end?”.

Don Roberto aims to carry on his father’s legacy and dreams as a coffee producer: these include giving back to the communities and people that work the land, creating relationships and connections with buyers, and producing consistent and delicious coffees. The workers at Finca Juanita are not seasonal; don Roberto makes sure to provide year-round work for people to provide stability to their lives. He has also helped build schools in the area, and focuses on employing and training women in the community that want to be able to provide for themselves and their families. He not only helps create financial stability for these families but as a trained psychologist also offers counseling services to members of his community.

As for the farm itself, it was beautiful: very green, lush and healthy trees, lots of shade and well-organized. He also exclusively grows the Parainema variety - at least at the time of this trip. This variety is high yielding and highly resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust, which is a huge asset for any coffee grower. In our experience, this variety is highly consistent to work with and offers a profile that is very versatile for Commonplace’s lineup. This farm visit solidified and reinforced our belief that Commonplace is working with the right people and contributing to something larger than a cup of coffee.

After finishing the tour of this farm, the group made their way a few hundred yards to a beautiful building that serves as don Roberto’s coffee lab, Cafe La Posada Aragon. This space truly had it all: terrific views, a beautiful patio, an excellent bar for cupping coffee, an espresso machine, loads of different coffee brewers, and even a coffee roaster! Don Roberto’s son made lunch for the group, after which they cupped some coffees and even spent time roasting at origin.

"It is hard to fully articulate how meaningful it was for me to finally meet don Roberto. It was so special to finally be in his presence and get to know him more (both personally and professionally), especially after working with his coffee the past couple years, communicating with him through Andrew from Dynamic and hearing about him from other people. I believe deeply in the work that we do together and I feel so proud and lucky to share his story and his coffee with our community."

- Vikki, on meeting don Roberto during this trip

Afterwards, the group packed up and headed back down the mountain. After saying their goodbyes, they headed off to Siguatepeque.

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DAY 5: Finca Las Tapias, Lake Yajoa and Pulhapanzak
(Siguatepeque, Comayagua)

Francia Kilgore is an amazing person and very talented coffee professional. Up to this point of the trip, she had been traveling alongside the group from place to place. The start of day 5, however, was all about her and her farm near Siguatepeque - Finca Las Tapias. This farm is overseen by Francia and her father, don Arturo Kilgore. Their facilities were very impressive: many different varieties of coffee broken into specific lots, a wet and dry mill, parabolic dryers, color sorters for separating defective coffee from lots, and more. They are in the process of building bioreactors for post-harvest fermentation, as well as a beautiful lab space to sample coffees, host people and roast coffee.

Next, the group settled into their lab for a cupping of several beautiful coffees from the Las Tapias fresh crop. Francia also shared something incredibly special: dried flowers from a coffee tree! These flowers can be used to make a delicious tea, but they are incredibly difficult to pick from trees correctly and, if done incorrectly, can lead to losing significant amounts of your crop. For many producers, picking these flowers is not worth the risk of potentially damaging a harvest and it is largely seen as unsustainable in the long-term, but the tea speaks for itself: it is beautifully delicate, floral, very sweet and has slight umami undertones. This is a treat among treats and the group was deeply thankful for Francia’s generosity in sharing something so special.

PHOTO 1: Touring Finca Las Tapias.

PHOTO 2: Exploring Finca Las Tapias' drying beds.

PHOTO 3: A rare delicacy shard by Francia - coffee flower tea!

PHOTO 4: The manager at Las Tapias' wet mill.

PHOTO 1: A still of Lake Yajoa, and the stunning vista beyond.

PHOTO 2: A delicious fresh caught pescado frito, enjoyed along Lake Yajoa.

PHOTO 3: Pulhapanzak waterfall.

With their learning quota met for the day, the remainder was filled with rest and relaxation.

Stop 1: Lake Yajoa, for some fresh caught pescado frito (fried fish) with an amazing view.

Stop 2: Pulhapanzak waterfall, for an incredible nature experience and a relaxing dip into the river upstream from the falls.

Stop 3: They made their way to a nice Honduran brewery where they’d be staying the night and had a fun dinner with lots of coffee people met throughout the trip.

Stop 4: Tucked into bed.

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DAY 6 & 7: Saying Goodbye to Frank, Saying Hello to Yoro

Frank and Vikki parted ways the morning of day 6. While Frank made his way to the San Pedro Sula airport to fly back home to Pittsburgh, Vikki continued onto Yoro in north-central Honduras for the 2nd leg of the trip.

"It was a unique role that I held on this trip being the only active retail/consumer facing member of the group. Before parting ways, I asked a number of producers what they would hope I would take back with me to my coworkers and guests. Their consensus answer (to summarize) was to take and share their stories which they had so willingly shared and serve as a connection between the work they do and the product our staff is now stewarding and our guests are now enjoying.

I left with greater appreciation, awareness, humility and sense of stewardship for what so many consider to be a merely common part of their day. What we get to do when we interact with coffee from any point of the supply chain (from producer to consumer) may be commonplace to our daily experience but it is extraordinary."

- Frank, reflecting on the conclusion of his origin trip to Honduras

The next 2 days centered around a coffee event organized by Cima, called “YorExpo”. This event was created to connect producers from the Yoro region with international buyers, like Commonplace and the other roasters in attendance, and also bring awareness to the quality, profiles and potential of the growers in the region via a cup competition. This competition was judged by a local and international panel - including our very own Vikki! - where all scores given to the coffees were aggregated and averaged to place them from 1st-10th place.

When specialty coffee companies look to purchase particularly high-end coffee from Honduras, there are a few locations that are almost always top of mind: Santa Barbara and La Paz, Intibucá and Lempira, etc.. Yoro, as of this trip, is seen by most buyers as a place for quantity over quality. Cima aims to shine light on the astronomical potential these producers have to cultivate and process exceptional coffees.

"We were told a few times over the course of the next 2 days how important of a moment this event and visit to Yoro was for the producers of the region. Coffee from Yoro is largely exported by large intermediaries that have not, and likely will never, focus on or incentivise specialty coffee production. Some producers who participated in YorExpo were unsure that they even produced specialty-grade coffee, or never had an opportunity to directly connect with a buyer (whether it be an exporter, importer, or roaster) that values quality over quantity and is willing to pay for it. Obviously, as a white coffee buyer from the United States, it is impossible for me to truly understand the complexities and real thoughts/feelings of this event. However, from what I was able to gather from conversations with these producers, the exporters attending, and other roasters on the trip: this event was a big deal for the producers of Yoro. This event was a real opportunity for these producers to prove to themselves that they are capable of producing exceptional coffees, and that Yoro can (and should) have a seat at the table when it comes to high-end Honduran coffee."

- Vikki, on the broader context of YorExpo

The group’s first stop: meeting up with employees from IHCAFE, the Honduran Coffee Institute, and making their way into the mountains of Yoro to a stunning farm, Finca El Pajarital. Overseen by Norma Yadira Cheverria Galindo and her husband, Samuel Garcia, El Pajarital is a breathtaking, young, and incredibly healthy farm. Throughout their tour, Norma told the group details of how her farm was laid out and what she grew, how IHCAFE helped her organize and optimize her farm, and some of the history of Yoro and the land they were on. She also showed off fossil formations around her farm from many millennia ago, when Central America was completely underwater.

Norma also invited the group to visit her home to see where her and her husband process and dry coffee. Their processing area was handbuilt and incredibly ingenuitive: they had a pulping machine with a wooden hopper funneling cherries into the machine, coffees dry-fermenting in large plastic (GrainPro) bags, coffees wet fermenting in water tanks and a small parabolic dryer with raised beds inside drying an assortment of different coffees.

After their time with Norma, the group made their way to ECAY’s dry mill and exporting facility, where YorExpo took place. For the rest of the day, they cupped 20 different samples that were accepted into the cup competition, with the goal of narrowing the pool down to the top 10 coffees. Quality evaluation on the first day is broken up into 2 large rounds of blind cuppings, where no judges know which coffee is which. There was an incredibly skilled team of cuppers from IHCAFE who oversaw the setup and execution of the cuppings; it was incredible to see how calibrated and exact they were.

PHOTO 1: Norma in front of coffee trees at her farm, El Pajarital.

PHOTO 2: Norma and Samuel posing for a photo together at El Pajarital.

PHOTO 3: Samuel collecting a sample from the tank for the group to evaluate.

PHOTO 4: Said sample, wet fermenting seeds after pulping.

PHOTO 5: Parabolic dryer that Norma built, her and Francia are speaking at the entrance.

“All I could help wondering during and after the cupping was, ‘Why didn’t anyone tell me about coffees from Yoro before?’”

- Vikki, on the cuppings conducted during YorExpo

PHOTO 1: A round of cupping takes places at YorExpo 2026.

PHOTO 2: Judges evaluating coffees at YorExpo 2026.

PHOTO 3: Vikki smiling and posing with the group at a roadside baleada stand.

PHOTO 4: One of the roadside baleadas Vikki chowed down on.

Two people poured on opposite sides of the cupping table at the exact same time for the exact same amount of time, remaining in sync with each other over the course of 20 cups on a table. It was a mesmerizing sight - especially for coffee cupping nerds!

By the halfway point of the first round of cupping it became clear, for the first time, how exceptional many of these coffees from Yoro were. Many were largely distinct from one another - the profiles were complex and not quite what we’ve grown to expect from Honduran, or even Central American, coffees. After a few hours sampling coffees, all of their notes were fed into a spreadsheet, averaged, and just like that, the top 10 were set in stone.

Highly over-caffinated, the group made their way to the hotel to have dinner and to wind down from the long day. Many producers they met in Marcala made it out to Yoro: Carlos Amaya, Fabio Caballero Jr., and Victor Contreras, as well as Francia Kilgore and Arnold Paz! The group enjoyed a long dinner with this community and, when ready, made their way to bed for the evening.

The group had an early start the next day: roadside baleadas and bee-lining it back to ECAY to finish their final round of judging. This table was similar to those from the day prior, but the coffees left on the table were the best of the best. They took their time to make sure that their notes were perfect, deliberated one last time, submitted their notes, and began the wait for the awards ceremony.

In the meantime, the group of roasters got together and took part in the festivities that were taking place outside! There were lots of vendors selling food, pastries, coffee and other small goods; there were even seminars that took place providing educational materials to producers that were attending the Expo. After a few hours, the awards ceremony was held, and the top 10 were announced (Norma from El Pajarital placed 7th!). The ceremony was, visibly, very emotional for many of the producers that made the top 10; it was hard for the judges to not tear up while they were cheering and celebrating their accomplishments.

After the ceremony, there was time to hear thoughts and feelings directly from the participating producers. It was incredibly moving to hear leaders from across the region sow seeds of encouragement and optimism into the work that these people do and the potential that they all have. The producers seemed motivated by the idea that pursuing specialty coffee more seriously could have a meaningful impact on them and their families lives.

After congratulating these producers on their amazing work, the group parted ways and journeyed to San Pedro Sula, with a flight home scheduled the following day.

PHOTO 1: The podium finish, top 3, for YorExpo 2026.

PHOTO 2: Norma accepting the certificate for her 7th place finish at YorExpo.

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DAY 8: Final Thoughts & Takeaways

As a result of Vikki’s participation in judging this competition, Commonplace was excited to verbally commit to 4 coffees shared by competitors! We will have more information to share about these coffees later this year. Commonplace will only be able to play a small part in the dream, but we also left YorExpo with new connections, high hopes and excitement for what is to come.

“I fell in love, deeply, with the mountains of Honduras: the people, the coffee, the food and the culture. From Marcala to Yoro, and everything in between, Honduras really captured my heart.

From the lens of a person who lives in a country that is ‘consumption-only’ when it comes to coffee: we are largely illiterate on the ins and outs of coffee production, and what it takes to make a cup of coffee. No amount of ‘research’, conversation, reading or watching videos can fully prepare you for the realities and conditions of actual coffee production.

Almost every farm that we went to was hours deep into the mountains on roads that were in very poor condition; these producers are fighting worsening climate change, pests, disease and fungus, they need to pay, manage and keep dozens (sometimes hundreds) of employees happy, upkeep the health and productivity of the farm by doing things like nurturing the earth, pruning and planting trees, spending weeks tending to and putting the work into properly processing and drying lots of coffee, tending to fermentations and experiments, heavy lifting, prepping for export, making sure your clients are happy with their coffee, and so so much more. All of this happens simultaneously, with worries about whether their clients will buy coffee or not, if they can get a bank loan to pre-finance a harvest, or if the weather will destroy their entire livelihood. Their jobs are incredibly hard and volatile.

All they look for from us is this: to be a consistent buyer year over year, to tell their stories and to serve their coffee to the best of our ability. This, in my opinion, is a very small price to pay to be able to work with their coffees. If you made it to the end of this long story, thank you. We are so lucky to be a part of these peoples stories, and we could not do it without the communities that we serve.”

- Vikki, reflecting on their final thoughts from this Honduras origin trip

Though we unfortunately missed the opportunity to visit Alex Portillo’s farm in Honduras during this origin trip, we are excited to source coffee from him and his farm, Finca Corintio, via Cima! You can check it out through the button below.

SHOP FINCA CORINTIO