This is the life story of José Miguel Echeverría, the national barista champion of Guatemala who is now representing his country in Busan, Korea. Teco for friends
In Guatemala, everyone knows that Teco Coffee House is synonymous with specialty coffee. But just a few know that José Miguel Echeverría, Teco, earned this nickname because when he was a child, his friends told him that his eyes looked like those of a Tecolote (Owl). At first, he was bothered by it, but then he got used to it and it even became his trademark.
Today Teco is a highly recognized, respected, and beloved figure in the Guatemalan coffee industry. At 37 years old, in addition to being the current national barista champion and representing his country in the world championship in Busan, Korea, He is the founder of the first specialty coffee shop with its laboratory and roastery. A complete school.
Reaching this point in the journey was not easy at all. Teco tells us that he failed many times, and lost a lot of money, but never gave up because he has always believed that ‘dreams do come true, you just have to work for them.’ The best proof of this is his life story. According to him, he was always a rebellious young man, and after finishing high school, all he wanted was to conquer the world.
He started working as a barista from scratch in a café. At that time, his coworker was Raúl Rodas, another young man who had already become a world barista champion by then, and that encouraged Teco.
“That was the first time I saw a latte art because of an American girl, I don’t remember her name or anything. I just remember that she was making figures, and it was incredible, that marked me. That was in 2010, and by 2014, El Injerto Coffee allowed me to learn to taste varieties, processes, trends, and methods. They allowed me to work, develop myself, and find a profession in coffee,” says Teco, who has been working with coffee for 17 years.
Of all those facets of coffee, which one do you enjoy the most and why?
All of them. Barista, taster, roaster. Even in the business when we opened Teco Coffee House in 2019, we did it with the idea of having everything in one place.
When did you start competing?
My first competition was in 2011, and we achieved third place. That story is quite beautiful because nobody believed in me; I was different. I’ve never been a traditional person, so many people told El Injerto’s owner not to invest in me. So, winning that third place felt like the first place because there I had the opportunity to stand out, and something wonderful was achieved.
That triumph helped me have a better relationship with my dad; he always wanted me to go to university. At some point, he said, ‘I spent so much money on school for you to serve coffee,’ and I said yes, but I’ll be happy. He told me to prove that to him, so I was proving, that you could indeed succeed by making coffee because the barista career was not known as it is known today. My dad was super proud; he realized the magnitude; we appeared in the press; it was something very national.
After Raúl became a world champion, there was more coffee boom in Guatemala, and as people from all over came to El Injerto to buy coffee, Teco began to meet people who led him to know coffee shops in the United States, and he began to have another perspective of how the industry works. ‘That made me feel prouder of my roots. I think that part is wonderful, understanding the business, understanding the roastery, how to buy, how to export. But, abroad, they have another vision and another way of doing business towards the inside, it’s like seeing both sides of the coin. That enriched me a lot and opened a lot of doors for me, knowing how the American market looks at the Central American market,’ he says.
This is the second time you have represented Guatemala in a world barista championship. How was it in 2014?
I was surprised. I ranked 19th; there were limitations back then; I didn’t know how to speak English; I had a different maturity level. Today I come back, and my mindset is different; many people are supporting me, a great team that supports me; it’s a great responsibility, but something very beautiful that fills me with a lot of pride.
What did you learn back then?
In 2014, I already had a broader knowledge; I arrived in the United States and realized that, in terms of coffee preparation, there wasn’t much difference between Guatemala and the United States. I even realized that, in general, Latin Americans are more passionate, but North Americans seek a differentiator with their vision and creativity. That’s where the idea of returning to Guatemala to start a roastery and a laboratory came from because all specialty places have it, and in Guatemala, it didn’t exist.
So, having opened something like that allowed me to bring together the coffee grower the roaster, and the barista in one place. We began to analyze the coffee from the farms; the first one was Finca El Socorro, winner of the Cup of Excellence, very renowned; he arrived first, and then others began to arrive.
80% percent of my clients are the ones who have supported us, those who keep this dream alive because I live off my dreams. I dreamed of having this; I worked to have it, that is, dreams do come true, but you have to work. Thanks to coffee, I managed to earn the respect of my parents and create a family that I have chosen because all the people who work with me are my family.
About the competition
The World Barista Championship (WBC) is an international coffee competition produced annually by World Coffee Events (WCE). Each year, more than 50 champion competitors prepare 4 espressos, 4 milk drinks, and 4 original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music. One of them is José Miguel Echeverría, Teco for friends, from Guatemala. He is competing in the championship taking place in Busan from May 1st to 4th and this is his story.
