About us

 

When coffee is a part of your identity, Rural Coffee is born. Our mission is to Source, Roast and Deliver sustainable high quality coffee. With longstanding relationships with coffee farmers around the world, we are able to seek and hand select some of the worlds finest, specialty, single-origin Arabica coffee.  We are committed to using our knowledge and experience to deliver the highest quality and best tasting coffee to our customers while emerging as the leader and preferred coffee merchant.

 

Benny Lanfranco grew up in Santiago, Dominican Republic. His neighbor’s family owned and operated coffee mills in the city as well as coffee farms in the countryside. He befriended this neighbor and very quickly became intrigued with the process and the mechanics of processing coffee. He often visited the coffee farms where he found a passion for the scenery, aroma, and unique charm of it all. He would later accompany this family on coffee excursions to various coffee growers in the region. He learned the ins and outs of green coffee. In particular, he learned first hand how to identify and grade quality coffee.

Benny moved back to New York, chasing coffee and any opportunity he could find in the realm of coffee. He worked with numerous coffee roasters in New York. Thereupon, Benny saw and was given the opportunity to improve the coffee department at Fairway Market in New York City as Director of Coffee and Tea. He worked there for 15 years, where he created the most unique and up-to-date coffee department. He ultimately installed 12 coffee roasters, as well as opened and renovated an additional 15 stores.

Throughout his journey, Benny visited and developed relationships with countless farmers, mills and exporters as well as importers of the highest quality of coffee, all over the world. In addition, Benny passed the Q Arabica Grader, making him a licensed Quality Arabica Grader by the Coffee Quality Institute, a worldwide organization that established the Rules and Regulations as well as the code of ethics for grading coffee. “It is an honor to be part of this unique elite system”, says Benny.

In his more recent years, Benny has also worked as a consultant to coffee retailers, wholesalers, coffee shops, and coffee roasters.

Benny is very excited to partner with Abel Núñez II, 5th generation in the coffee industry, to develop a very unique coffee operation whose first priority is offering the highest quality coffee to their customers.

 

Abel Núñez II grew up in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He spent most of his childhood and adolescent years  in Juncalito, a small coffee producer village situated in one of the most elevated mountain regions of the Caribbean. His great-great grandfather established his roots in Juncalito in the late 1800s, dedicating himself to harvesting coffee. His love and devotion to coffee would soon become a family tradition passed down from generation-to-generation, giving rise to what is now five generations of coffee heritage and expertise.

Abel’s years in Juncalito were spent alongside his father,  acquiring knowledge of coffee farming and mass production. He eventually built a comradery with the community that would allow him to learn, recognize and appreciate the value of their hard work and abilities as coffee farmers.  At the time, his father cultivated and sold coffee beans nationally and internationally, ultimately providing the opportunity to immigrate to the United States. This opened doors Abel never knew existed. It was during this time Abel was introduced to another essential component of the coffee operation, ROASTING. He was now well-versed in all aspects of coffee processing, bridging the gap between coffee farming and the coffee consumer.

Abel went on to study Computer Systems and Network Engineering. He worked in the private sector for IT Security and Development and later established his own IT company.  In this new project, Rural Coffee, he is integrating his passions for coffee and technology. This unique blend will guarantee a seamless and unmatched customer experience.

Abel is delighted to partner with Benny, a lifelong family friend and an established authority in the Specialty Coffee sphere. Together, their mission is to ensure their customers receive quality coffee. They will ensure selection, transportation, roasting, packaging and delivery are all held to the highest standard.