Every great cup begins with a story
Ours started at a Sunday dinner table.
How it All Began
Building connections through coffee
Our founder, Alex Vívolo Griffith, grew up in a Southern Italian family where Sunday dinners weren't just meals — they were rituals. A reason to pause, connect, and remember that life is short and meant to be savored with the people you love.
When Alex lost his mother to cancer, he wanted to honor her memory by creating something that carried forward that same spirit. A place where people could gather, experience something extraordinary, and leave feeling a little more connected to the world around them.
That something became Vívolo.
His vision took root in Santa Marta, Colombia, where Vívolo Café was born. Now in its third year of operation, the café is much more than a coffee shop. It's a gathering place for coffee enthusiasts, locals, and travelers from around the world, united by their love of exceptional coffee and shared values of quality, community, and respect for origin.
What started as one man's tribute to his mother is now Santa Marta's leading specialty coffee destination and the foundation for everything we bring to you today.
Our Café Roots
Born in Colombia. Built By Colombians.
We're not just another U.S. brand with a story about Colombia. We live it. Our coffee is roasted in Colombia at Vivolo Café in Santa Marta, on Colombian-built equipment, by a team of passionate Colombian and Venezuelan coffee professionals who pour everything they have into every cup.
In an industry where roasters at origin are too often overlooked and undercapitalized, we're challenging that narrative — through technical mastery, radical transparency, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
We believe specialty coffee, done right, creates less strain on the land, builds sustainable livelihoods for farmers, and gives you the power to choose a cup that aligns with your taste, your values, and your life.
The baristas, roasters, and green bean wizards behind every cup
Our Expertise
Introducing Gustavo Valderrama, Q Grader
Most coffee brands talk about quality. We have one of Colombia's leading coffee experts certifying every lot.
Gustavo Valderrama is a Coffee Quality Institute-certified Q Grader and Specialty Coffee Association-certified Sensory Analyst, Roaster, and Barista with over 23 years of experience in specialty Colombia coffee.
But what makes Gustavo truly different isn't just his credentials — it's where he works.
He's not approving samples shipped to a warehouse or sourcing from a catalog. Gustavo is physically present at origin, in the growing regions, with the farmers, evaluating coffees before most buyers even know they exist.
Gustavo personally selects every lot ensuring we deliver rare flavor profiles, exceptional quality, and the best selection of coffee coming out of Colombia today.
"Extraordinary coffee doesn't happen by chance. It comes from our deep love for nature and the human spirit, our drive to connect. For us, coffee is a way to share the stories of a land, the richness of its biodiversity, and its character."
- Gustavo Valderrama
Our Local Coffee Region
Introducing the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Our story is rooted in one of the most extraordinary coffee-growing regions on earth — the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. This is the world's highest coastal mountain range. A place where warm Caribbean air meets cool glacial winds, producing a microclimate so unique it creates flavor profiles found nowhere else in Colombia: rich dark chocolate, bright blueberry, and a complexity that stays with you long after the last sip.
Our Community
More than Customers, Family
When you choose Vívolo, you become part of something bigger.
Every bag of Vívolo Coffee you order directly supports the farmers who grew it and the team members who roasted, packed, and shipped it with care. You're not just buying coffee — you're joining a community that stretches from the slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta all the way to your morning cup.
Our café will always call Santa Marta home. But we're honored to bring that same Sunday dinner spirit — that joy of connection, of sharing something truly good — to the United States, one cup at a time.
Because extraordinary coffee is meant to be shared with extraordinary people. Like you.