Jean Carlo Contreras and Noelia Mendez have found Newton to be a great place to live. Jean Carlo moved here in 2013, and Noelia joined him in 2020. One thing they have missed, however, is the coffee from their native Costa Rica. In Noelia’s case, you might say that coffee is in her blood. Her grandfather, Everardo Salas, owns two coffee plantations that have been in her family for many years. Originally dedicated to sugar cane production, these were replanted and have been producing coffee for over fifty years. In 2004, in cooperation with other coffee growers, Everardo founded a coffee roasting and packaging collective, Cafe De Altura (High Altitude Coffee).
Given this background, it was natural for Noelia and Jean Carlo to take the opportunity during frequent trips to Costa Rica to stock up on coffee, buying enough to last until their next trip. Back in Newton, they shared their coffee with friends and neighbors, many of whom wanted to buy some for themselves. Word got around, and demand for the coffee increased dramatically. This meant that they often returned from their Costa Rica trips with little else in their luggage than bags of coffee.
The idea of starting a coffee importing business was the result of the high demand for Costa Rican coffee from their friends and neighbors. There was much to figure out about such a business, from shipping details to dealing with the paperwork involved in international importing. But they managed to get all of this done, and in early 2023 they started their fledgling coffee import business, Ever’s Distributors. The company name is based on the short form of Noelia’s grandfather’s name — Ever. Offering a variety of Costa Rican coffees in both ground and whole bean form, Ever’s Distributors sells primarily through their website. Although they do not have a retail store, they do want to have a presence in the community, so they offer coffee on Tuesdays at the Newton Farmers’ Market in Cold Spring Park and at the Saturday Market at Newton North High School. They also make an appearance at some Newton Village Day events, including those in Newtonville and Nonantum. “It’s going well,” Jean Carlo said, “since we are meeting so many people at these events and spreading the word.” And Ever’s offers free delivery to Newton, Watertown, Waltham, and Needham.
In addition to coffee, Ever’s sells an interesting coffee-related product: socks, made entirely from the waste fiber from coffee production. This local business offers coffee grown by a collective of small coffee farmers and is run by friendly and knowledgeable Newton residents.