Shigualos Coffee
Located in the Antigua Coffee Growing Region
Shigualos Coffee was founded in 2021 by a multi-generational group of coffee producers in the town of Ciudad Vieja. Their cooperative name is a tribute to their roots and showcases their appreciation for cultural diversity. The background of the term “Shigualos” dates back to the 16th century when Guatemala’s capital city was located in what is now known as La Antigua Guatemala. During this time period, indigenous people and other people that were considered not to be important in the eyes of the Spanish crown started settling in surrounding mountainous regions. Many people from the Tlaxcaltecas, which were actually Mexican allies, settled in a neighboring village, now known as Ciudad Vieja. Legend says that people residing in Antigua, who were mostly Spaniards at the time, started calling them “igualados”, which means wannabes. This word combined with the nahuatl language evolved into “shigualos”.
Since the 1500s, the mestizo population residing in Ciudad Vieja reassigned the term to refer to themselves and their now Catholic-prevalent identity. Cooperative members chose to incorporate this distinct identity as Guatemalans with roots in Ciudad Vieja and include English to officially name themselves Shigualos Coffee.
Our partnership began with this group after their formation in 2021 to support their mission of producing quality coffee that competes within a demanding international market. In 2022, Shigualos Coffee began exporting their coffee under their own name for the first time. Alongside coffee production, their operations include a tourism program aimed to provide impactful experiences for visitors that authentically represent the daily life of a producer and teach visitors about the entire coffee process, from bean to brew. The cooperative seeks to use tourism as a method of celebrating Guatemala’s culture and traditions, and providing an alternative source of income for its ten members. This group currently has their own brand of coffee, which they sell locally to coffee shops and hotels. Their coffee roaster is also used to roast coffee for other coffee producers in the area.
