Who is El Quetzal Coffee Co.

El Quetzal Coffee Co. is part of the Bendaña McEwan family’s fourth generation coffee producers from the mountains of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Since the 1990's our production has focused on specialty and high-commercial grade coffees and maintaining decades long direct-trade relationships with roasters in a number of countries, particularly Japan.

As we transition into the third and fourth generations of stewardship, we are building on the foundation of excellence of our predecessors and investing in quality and transparency, and social and environmental responsibility to ensure the coffee industry thrives for generations to come.

Related Companies & Directors

El Quetzal Coffee Co (USA) is the independently owned coffee distributor and roaster of husband and wife team Ana & Justin Sieve. Having met in Justin's hometown of St. Louis, Missouri and currently living in San Antonio, Texas, they share a passion for Nicaraguan coffee and its limitless possibilities. Through investments in tracking and sourcing, producer advocacy, community and environmental support, El Quetzal Estates coffee helps consumers, roasters, and buyers experience the qualities of Nicaraguan coffee.

• Ana Bendaña (LinkedIn) - Anita is continuing her family's legacy in the coffee business and helping tell our story through social media and branding. She's passionate about sharing the joys of Nicaraguan culture and brings her heart to everything she does.
• Justin Sieve (LinkedIn) - With a background in Bay Area's tech and marketing, Justin is helping ELQ modernize their operations, tracking, technology, and digital presence.

Bendaña-McEwan y Asociados (BMcE)

Bendaña-McEwan y Asociados is the Nicaraguan company responsible for the management, farming, milling, and distribution of coffees produced in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The company handles overall management of El Quetzal and its surrounding smaller fincas.

• Maria Teresa McEwan Callejas (de Bendaña) - 'Mama Tere' oversees the operations of the coffee production business in Nicaragua and manages the estates and producer sales. She's the matriarch of the family and has maintained steadfast management since her husband Frank's passing.

El Quetzal Estate (Nicaragua)

• Ana Bendaña McEwan - Previously residing in San Antonio, Texas, Ana has been a nurse for over 4 decades. Having once served as the Peace Corps Medical Director to Nicaragua, she adores the country and cares for it's people, in particular the campesinos that also reside in EQ's surrounding community of Laguna Verde. Ana's vision for El Quetzal and advocacy for the workers and highlands communities brings a personal touch to a historically tough industry. 

Beneficio San Miguel

• Frank "Paco" Bendaña III -  After a career including multiple senior positions at Anheuser-Busch, Paco manages the operations of dry mill Beneficio San Miguel and is on the ground in Matagalpa. Paco has one of the largest roles in the organization as the central milling station not only takes coffee from EQ but also multiple farms throughout the state and carefully processes and organizes coffee lots for export and local sale.

Notable Legacies

• Esteban McEwan Blandón - Mr. McEwan grew the farming operations to over a dozen farms, many of which continue today through his families. These farms produce some of the best coffees in the region and have yielded exceptional varietals, many of which receive top scores in Cup of Excellence competitions.
• Frank "Don Paco" Bendaña Radzevich was the first Nicaraguan with a doctorate in Plant Physiology and modernized El Quetzal from a barren hill into the most productive coffee estate in the country. After returning in the 1990s, Don Paco shifted the farms focus onto quality and responsible management. Through innovative practices, waste water treatment, implementing shade-grown farming practices, and decades of care, El Quetzal produces exceptional coffees renowned for their chocolatey tones now emblematic of Matagalpan coffees. It's his leadership and inspiration that we continue to turn to when seeking to improve our farms.