Bendaña McEwan Family - Nicaraguan Coffee Producers

For nearly 80 years, the Bendaña McEwan family has cultivated specialty coffee in the highlands of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. What began with a single farm in 1947 has grown into a multi-generational operation spanning four estates, a state-of-the-art processing facility, and a direct-trade partnership bringing Nicaraguan single-origin coffee to roasters and consumers worldwide.

This is not just our business. It is our family's legacy — and we invite you to be part of it.

El Quetzal estate gardens in the highlands of Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Four Generations of Coffee

Ana Bendaña at El Quetzal estate in Matagalpa, Nicaragua

The Bendaña McEwan coffee story begins with Stephen McEwan, who established coffee farming in the mountains of Matagalpa. His daughter, Maria Teresa McEwan, married Dr. Frank Bendaña Radzevich in 1957, joining two families whose combined passion for agriculture and community would shape Nicaraguan specialty coffee for decades to come.

Their eldest daughter, Ana Patricia Bendaña McEwan — known to everyone as Doña Ana — now serves as General Manager of the El Quetzal estate. Before returning to coffee, Doña Ana spent more than 40 years in healthcare, including service as a Peace Corps Medical Director and as a Hospice Executive Director in San Antonio, Texas. She brings the same dedication to the farm that she brought to her patients: an attention to detail and a commitment to people that shows in everything we produce.

In 2023, Doña Ana's daughter Ana Bendaña and her husband Justin Sieve founded El Quetzal Estate Coffees, dedicated to continuing the family's direct-trade relationships with roasters and bringing our coffee to new markets. Together, the fourth generation carries forward the values and standards that have defined Bendaña McEwan coffee since 1947.

Dr. Frank Bendaña: The Visionary Behind El Quetzal

Dr. Frank Bendaña Radzevich — affectionately known as Don Paco — was the architect of our modern coffee operation. Born in New York City to a Nicaraguan father and a Lithuanian mother, he graduated from the Escuela Agrícola Panamericana (El Zamorano) in Honduras in 1957 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology, becoming the first Nicaraguan to hold that distinction.

His academic work included published research in plant physiology at Yale University and advanced study of soils at the University of Florida. But Don Paco's greatest contribution was bringing that scientific rigor back to Nicaragua.

In the 1960s, he founded the El Quetzal estate in the Dantalí Hill Nature Reserve, 35 minutes from the city of Matagalpa. There, he pioneered sun-grown coffee techniques that tripled traditional yields and became a leading production method across the country. He introduced specialty varieties that remain the foundation of our portfolio today: Caturra, Catimor, Yellow Catuaí, Java, Villa Sarchí, and others — each selected for its adaptability to our highland terroir and its exceptional cup quality.

Don Paco continued his work at El Quetzal until his passing in 2007. His legacy lives on in every tree on our farms, every variety we cultivate, and every cup that bears the Bendaña McEwan name.

Beneficio San Miguel Arcángel

Once harvested, our coffee is transported to Beneficio San Miguel Arcángel — the family's dry milling facility, operated by Bendaña McEwan S.A. Located at Km 118 on the Managua-Matagalpa highway, the Beneficio handles every stage from receiving wet parchment to producing export-ready green coffee: drying (6-10 day optimal cycle), cupping and quality control, sorting, classification, and preparation for shipment.

Clients and producers can choose from natural drying, box drying for honey and natural processes, and high-quality washed processing — all managed with full traceability from farm to container.

Coffee drying at Beneficio San Miguel Arcángel in Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Our Varietals

Freshly picked coffee beans at El Quetzal estate

Each variety on our farms was chosen for its productivity, cup quality, and adaptability to our highland conditions. Our current portfolio includes:

  • Geisha — The world's most prized specialty variety, known for its floral, jasmine-like aromatics
  • Laurina — A rare, naturally low-caffeine Bourbon mutation with delicate fruit and tea-like qualities
  • Pacamara — Large-bean hybrid with bold, complex sweetness and citrus notes
  • Java — Planted by Don Paco in 1991. Origin: Ethiopia → Indonesia → Nicaragua. Caramel sweetness, honeycrisp apple, vanilla.
  • Yellow Catuai — Compact, productive, and rewarding: honey sweetness with citrus and a clean finish
  • Villa Sarchí — A Costa Rican dwarf mutation prized for its bright acidity and sweetness
  • Caturra — The workhorse of Central American specialty coffee, delivering reliable quality
  • SHG Blend — Our Strictly High Grown blend, the foundation of our B2B wholesale program

Direct Trade: El Quetzal Estate Coffees

Coffee harvest truck at El Quetzal estate in the Nicaraguan highlands

Founded in 2023, El Quetzal Estate Coffees is dedicated to continuing the Bendaña McEwan family's legacy through direct relationships with roasters, cafés, and specialty buyers worldwide. We offer green coffee in quantities from 150-gram samples to full 69-kilogram export sacks, plus a curated line of roasted single-origin coffees for retail customers.

We believe every cup of coffee should not only taste exceptional but also contribute positively to the lives of those who cultivate it. Through our operations, we foster a deeper connection between consumers and the origins of their coffee — ensuring that each sip is a testament to nearly 80 years of family commitment to quality, community, and the land.

Browse our green coffee → | Shop roasted coffee → | Request wholesale samples →