About Us
More than a Family Legacy!
Santos Coffee Farms is a coffee company dedicated to producing and sharing high-quality specialty coffee. With our own farms and roasting facilities, we manage the process from crop to cup, ensuring freshness, authenticity, and a direct connection between farmers and coffee lovers. Our commitment also extends to sustainability and community impact through clean water initiatives in Guatemala.
The story of Santos Coffee begins in the lush highlands of Guatemala, where fertile volcanic soils and misty mountain climates create the perfect conditions for growing some of the world’s finest coffee. Since 1895, Santos Farms has been the heart of a family legacy passed down for more than five generations.
How We Started
Sisters Wendy and Katie grew up with childhood memories tied to the land. By the time they were teenagers, they already knew how to plant, harvest, roast, grind, and enjoy the coffee their family had cultivated for generations.
Years later, while inheriting the family farms, Wendy and Katie discovered a set of handwritten letters
exchanged between Marta and Piedad in the 1930s. These letters revealed
the struggles their grandmothers endured to save the land, letters
filled with sacrifice, hope, and determination. Marta and Piedad became some of the first female coffee farm owners in Guatemala.
Letting go of the farms was never an
option. To make them sustainable in the modern era, the sisters knew
they had to think beyond Guatemala. With Wendy’s entrepreneurial background, including opening her first coffee shop in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, they envisioned a new chapter. Thus, Santos Coffee was born. Today, Santos Coffee operates multiple locations across Alabama, carrying forward the same spirit, not only as a coffee brand, but as a living story born from tradition and love of the land.
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From Guatemala to Alabama
The beans are carefully harvested and exported directly from our family farms in Guatemala to Alabama, ensuring freshness and preserving their unique character.
Roasted in Birmingham
Once received in Birmingham, the coffee is roasted in-house with precision, transforming each bean into the rich, aromatic profiles that define Santos Coffee. Santos Coffee remains committed to maintaining this balance of tradition and progress. Farming practices honor sustainability and respect for the land. By owning the entire process—land, farming, roasting, and retail locations
Our story in video
Discover our journey through these featured videos
Santos Story
Come with us to learn more about the story of Santos. Through the voice of Wendy Padilla-Madden, part of the Santos family, we’ll explore a legacy of passion and dedication that has been passed down through five generations.
What Santos Offers
Join us as we take you on a journey through everything Santos has to offer. From our carefully cultivated Guatemalan farms to our cafés and community, discover the flavors, traditions, and experiences that we proudly share with every client and visitor.
Recognition & Awards
Over the years, Santos Coffee has been recognized for excellence in quality, sustainability, and community impact. These awards reflect our ongoing commitment to coffee and people.
Hoover’s Magazine: Best Coffee Shop 2022
We are proud to share that Santos Coffee Hoover was voted Best Coffee in Hoover’s Best Winners 2022 by Hoover’s Magazine. This recognition, chosen by the local community, highlights our passion for serving exceptional coffee and creating a welcoming space for our guests. We’re honored to stand alongside other beloved cafés in Hoover, with O’Henry’s Coffees and Wild Roast Café named as runners-up. This award is a reflection of our commitment to quality, heritage, and the people we serve every day.
Art & Murals at Santos Coffee
Our stores feature unique murals created by talented local artists, celebrating Guatemalan culture and the spirit of coffee. Discover the stories behind each piece and the artist who brought them to life.
Santos Coffee Hoover
Luis Fernando Izquierdo, known simply as Izquierdo, is a Guatemalan illustrator, muralist, and designer who has dedicated his life to art. His signature style, called Pop Guatemalteco, is defined by vibrant blocks of color, bold lines, and striking contrasts that give energy and character to every figure in his work. With this contemporary approach, Izquierdo blends local identity with a modern pop aesthetic, positioning himself as one of the rising creative voices in Guatemala.
Santos Coffee was honored to feature his talent through a custom-designed mural of the quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird, which also symbolizes the brand’s heritage on its logo. Customers can find this piece at Santos Coffee Hoover.
Santos Coffee Gardendale
Nathan Ardón, who signs his works as Nathan, was born in Guatemala City in 1988 and studied at the Rafael Rodríguez Padilla National School of Fine Arts. Fascinated by drawing since childhood, he developed a reputation for his skill with pencil and ink, creating precise yet expressive works that often explore birds, nests, and the human figure. Recognized in leading Guatemalan galleries, Nathan has become known for the extraordinary quality and poetry of his work.
Nathan also brought his vision to Santos Coffee with a custom-designed mural of the quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala and a symbol represented in the Santos Coffee logo. Customers can find this piece at Santos Coffee Gardendale.
About us
Every bag of Santos Coffee helps us give back. From clean water projects to local initiatives, we are proud to support our communities and create a positive impact.
Every Bag Makes a Difference
Our mission: To bring water to the people who need it most.
With every bag sold through our subscription program, Santos donates $2 toward Eco-Filters, a simple yet effective system that purifies water. This initiative helps ensure that families in Guatemala who are less fortunate gain reliable access to clean, safe water all year round.
Santos Coffee delivers something rare in the U.S.: a true “crop-to-cup” experience, where every sip carries with it a century-old story of endurance, family, and excellence.
