AmbergrisCaye.com Caye Coffee supplies freshly roasted coffee to San Pedro Town and communities throughout Belize. Caye Coffee (pronounced “kee” coffee) is located on Ambergris Caye, a small island in the Caribbean just off the coast of Belize. We are the first coffee suppliers to set up a roasting facility designed to offer fresh roasted coffee to the people of Belize. Our coffee shop is unique; it is not what you would typically call a “coffee shop”. We do serve fresh coffee, roasted on site in our Diedrich roaster, but our main focus is supplying businesses, resorts and individuals with freshly roasted and ground coffee by the pound. Come visit our coffee shop in San Pedro Town, you can have a cup of coffee and watch the whole process as we turn our green coffee beans into the magic brew you so enjoy! We're right next door to the Sausage Factory, ask any local, they can tell you how to find us. Caye Coffee Inaugurated The island’s local and tourist population can now savor the taste of fresh roasted coffee at the newly opened Caye Coffee shop, located in the San Pablo area, next to the Sausage Factory. Paul and Heather Claus, Canadian expats originally from Victoria, British Colombia, inaugurated their small business this Monday, September 13, after months of research, planning, and work details. Before moving to the island, Paul was an automotive technician at Chrysler and Heather was a management consultant for an international IT firm. After 25 years of working hard in Canada, the couple decided to search for a new life in another country, one in which they could enjoy the sun, walk barefoot in the sand every day, and be their own bosses. Months of in-depth research narrowed their search to Ambergris Caye, Belize; so they decided to pay a visit to the island. “Four steps off the plane and we knew we’d found our home!” said Heather Claus. “The people are wonderful, the air is fresh, the flora and fauna are amazing, the water’s warm, the food is great… but not everything is perfect. We did not like the coffee at all! We’re both coffee drinkers, but after several attempts at different venues, we gave up - even paradise had its draw-backs.” It was during their first visit to the island that the couple decided to start looking at a number of potential ideas for the establishment of a unique business. “The more we considered, the more we became convinced that supplying fresh roasted coffee to the local and tourist population was a need that we could fill,” exclaimed Heather. “Our second visit to the island allowed Paul and I to do a fair amount of the ground-work to find a location for our business.” The couple spent months and months planning, making contacts, wading through what seemed an endless stream of paperwork, driving people around the world insane with their endless questions, and getting everything arranged for their big move to San Pedro. Then, they trained all their energies into the development of their own business. “Most coffee sold on the island is six months old,” explained Paul Claus to Ambergris Today. “At Caye Coffee, we roast the freshest beans from Antigua, Guatemala, producing the freshest coffee, which is only two to three days old. The fresh taste will certainly win you over.” With the help of a computer-operated Diedrich Roaster, Paul can roast up to 30 pounds of coffee beans at one time. Clients decide whether they want their product light, medium or dark. As for their modern process grinder machine, it can take care of 600 lbs per hour. Paul and Heather call their fresh roasted coffee “Island Roast”, which they are now selling to the public in both retail and wholesale, by the pound or by the cup. Clients also have a choice of purchasing custom roasted coffee (including Espresso), which they can pick up only two hours after placing their order. Their next goal is to start supplying the various restaurants and hotels on the island and mainland Belize. But it’s not all work and no play for the Canadian couple. In their spare time, they enjoy soaking up the sun, snorkeling, and wandering the island taking photographs. “Stop by our shop, next to the Sausage Factory, have a cup of coffee, buy a pound or two to take home with you, and spend a few minutes looking at some of our photos that we’ve put up on the walls,” said Heather. “The images on display are available for purchase, and we are willing to take on freelance photo assignments, as long as they don’t interfere with our roasting schedule.” Photo Caption: Paul and Heather Claus standing next to their computerized roaster.