Debbie:
[0:01] Everyone knows Thai food. It's world-famous, but Thai coffee for most people, that's still a mystery. Today, I'm sitting down with Susan Borvornpotsakul Villota, the visionary founder of Coffee Culture Thailand. In a world full of coffee companies, Susan's story stands out. She turned a time of crisis into a launchpad, leveraging her unique Thai Finnish background to shine a light on the extraordinary coffee beans grown in Thailand's remote mountains. She's connecting farmers with coffee lovers in a whole new way. Susan, thanks for being here.
Susan:
[0:40] Thank you so much for having me here. It's really an honor to be here.
Debbie:
[0:43] Susan, you come from two very different cultures, half Thai and half Finnish. On one hand, there's Finnish Sisu, that famous grit and resilience. On the other, Thai Sanuk, the joyful and fun-loving spirit. So how does these two powerful philosophies inspire and shape your vision for the future of Thai coffee culture?
Susan:
[1:07] That's an interesting question because I don't think I've ever tied it to the two cultures that I'm from. I've always kind of been driven to do the things that you love and go on that path. it's just the best way going forward. I mean, I am very, my husband says that I get things done and that's something that he loves about me. So I guess I only tied it now to the CISO. So where there's the fun and passion, that probably is from the Thai side. But yeah, it drives me through everything I do. I mean, coffee's not the first business that we've started. We had a digital marketing agency before and I joined my husband on that journey actually. Before that, I was working with my family, but it has always been my core work. I don't believe that you should go into doing something that, let's say you're stuck in an office and you're really miserable. Like, that's not the way to go. It just doesn't feel like work when you're doing the things that you love. And that's kind of been my motto.
Debbie:
[2:05] But what sparked your passion for coffee? I'm quite curious.
Susan:
[2:09] Okay, so I was never a coffee lover. Until I was 21. I drank coffee purely to stay awake to manage family-run condominium that we had in hospitality sector. And I had to stay up until like four o'clock in the morning or like for days without sleeping. So that was kind of how I got into it. Coffee culture, however, was born during a pandemic.
Susan:
[2:34] And it was because I actually found a coffee that I really liked. I didn't like those aftertaste, that sour, burnt, lingering taste that is left behind. And I was going through all the different roasters because I write Thai and I read Thai. So I was able to find the coffee. Eventually, I found something from up north and I was like, wow, there is actually a coffee that is smooth, not sour. Because in Finland, they love their sour coffee, like anything sour.
Susan:
[3:02] It's great. So it kind of started from there.
Debbie:
[3:04] You mentioned about COVID-19 when you started the business. During that time, many businesses struggled. So how did that crisis became your unlikely catalyst in terms of launching Coffee Culture as an online marketplace?
Susan:
[3:18] Yeah, I love this question. Actually, it was born out of a struggle. So COVID here in Phuket, particularly, we had the digital marketing agency and it was our clients were hospitality businesses. As soon as the pandemic hit, they knew already a bit beforehand that something was about to happen. So we started losing clients after clients, big contracts, and eventually we lost 90% of our customers. No income, stuck in the middle of a lockdown. Yeah. And I thought, you know, how are people going to get coffee? Like for me, for example, I knew where to look and I could write Thai and read Thai. But then I thought if there was anybody out there, So we had nothing to do. My husband said, hey, look, you know what? Let's just try it out. See if there's a demand for it. There's a need for it. He shot the video. He actually pushed me to do the video. The folks, not a camera person. So it was in our garden. He took his phone. I basically stood there and he started asking questions. So we ran through this script and we just kind of pitched the idea.
Susan:
[4:25] Obviously, we had a marketing background. So I did a one-page website. And I didn't want to launch it because it wasn't perfect. My husband said, you know what? Just put it up. Let's send it to our friends and colleagues. See what happened. We ended up raising 60,000 baht on the sales of just coffee with no product. We had no product. It was just based off of like my favorite coffee. And that kind of started the whole thing because we found out there was a need
Susan:
[4:54] for it and they were mostly expats here as well.
Debbie:
[4:56] So that's a very interesting story. You speak Thai fluently, which actually gives you access to most places most expats never see. So when you started exploring the coffee scene, meeting local farmers and roasters to bring into your platform, what was the most surprising truth you learned from these local artisans that redefined your understanding of what Thai coffee could be?
Susan:
[5:21] So Thai coffee still today and I'm no different I thought it was just all robusta coffee super strong dark that kind of coffee that kicks you to wake up I thought that was what Thai coffee was until I found out that there was more varieties there's plenty out there and different regions have different tastes different roasters have different techniques and so they bring out a different flavor that they like so they run it based on their passion right? So one roaster would have smooth coffee, the other one would have fruit tea, profiles, all the varieties that they offer. And that showed me that there's more to Thai coffee than we know. And it's not well spoken for out there, like marketed, because the farmers, they don't know how to do marketing, honestly, to reach the foreigners or worldwide. They can sell to the domestics because that's their native language, right? And so they were lacking the marketing side. And I thought, this is something that we can actually do and help because that's my background.
Debbie:
[6:24] Coffee culture connects farmers, roasters, and consumers. So each of these people would have different needs. What was the hardest part for you in terms of keeping this ecosystem balanced? Because you're a connector, you're a bridge of all these three different audiences. So how do you ensure fair support for small producers like farmers, roasters who lack these marketing resources that you can actually provide in terms of putting out there, connecting them with consumers so that they can buy it from your online platform?
Susan:
[6:58] Right. So Coffee Culture was inspired by there's another company called Crema.co. And we love the model. So we've kind of readjusted it for a tie. We started out with the mission of just being like another, let's say, a small-scale Amazon for Thai coffee, right? So we listed all these different roasters, their products, directly as their brand. And we went through quite a lot of trouble because we got customers asking, where's my coffee? Is it delivered? So then we sent to the roasters, is it delivered? And they take a day sometimes to reply or no response. And you're just stuck in the middle like, okay, what's happening? to the product. That was the biggest issue and challenge that we had because we were not able to figure out where the coffee was, if it was sent. Customers obviously want to know where their products are. And so we ended up having to shift the entire concept to bring the coffee under our brand.
Susan:
[7:58] So basically the roasters and the farmers, they would send to us. One thing that was key for me was during, I think it was 2022,
Susan:
[8:07] One particular type of coffee, it's called Peaberry, which is from this famous area, Doi Chang in Chiang Mai. And our roaster was saying that they can't get the green beans because their friend, who is a farmer, had pre-sold two years worth of coffee to a big company. They didn't say who, but they basically locked out a really low price per kilo.
Susan:
[8:33] For two years and their friends were suffering and I thought okay this is not right like I get it you have to do your cost control and so on but for two years and taking advantage during the pandemic where the prices were lowest was not right so we basically told our farmers and roasters look you guys set the price and we'll work with that but it's not something that we control we want you to set it we want you to be happy I mean everyone needs money to put food on the table and survive the world in general. So that was a key for us.
Debbie:
[9:03] I can imagine, Susan, that running a platform can be challenging. As you said, you also have to control the quality across many different farmers. So how do you maintain quality standards across multiple suppliers? And what's your system in terms of ensuring consistent customer experience?
Susan:
[9:21] So before we onboarded the roasters that we chose and farmers for our brand, we actually went through our entire process of like actually going through the orders several times to see the consistency because this is one of the problems, right? Like you would order one time, next time the taste would be different. We're not a specialty coffee, so I don't have that background. I don't think I want to get into it because it is very peculiar. Uh, but after a time of like tasting, testing and doing, I guess it would be like ghost shopper to see if they can maintain their consistency. Because a person can always say, yeah, we can definitely maintain the taste, but when it actually comes to the action, it doesn't work. So we've noticed only a few handful of roasters and farmers are able to do it. And we've kind of just worked with those. We do have a team here on our end that checks the beans as well, just to make sure everything is okay. And we're constantly checking with our customers just to make sure everything
Susan:
[10:23] is fine. We have a long, long-standing relationship with the customers as well. Some of them are from the pandemic, which is amazing.
Debbie:
[10:30] Let's talk about taste. I've also ordered from Coffee Culture. So, Coffee Culture is known for smooth, balanced coffee that lets flavor shine without that bitterness.
Debbie:
[10:40] So what specific Thai bean profiles or roasting techniques create that signature taste? And how do you train your palate or eye to select the right partners?
Susan:
[10:51] Right. So, the coffee that we're known for was never intentional. It was just my personal preference. I like smooth coffee and it was hard for me to find it out there. And it turns out there is more people that likes that. And it ended up being our hero product. Like we're known for the smooth coffee, but Thai coffee isn't just about like one taste profile. There's so many different. It's like food, like you've got sour, fruity, floral, and then you've got the chocolate, bitter, burnt, taste. And then the smooth coffee and obviously the decaf.
Debbie:
[11:25] I know people have different preferences. Myself, I love smooth, balanced coffee without the bitterness. Earlier, you mentioned, Susan, that you basically took a very informal video
Debbie:
[11:37] when you first launched. And I saw that you actually launched with an unconventional playbook, like a crowdfunding video, accepting crypto payments, collaborating with local artists for merchandise. It was clearly a marketing-first approach designed to generate that buzz. So, looking back at all those unconventional bets, I would say, which one delivered the biggest return?
Susan:
[12:01] Well, I wouldn't say it's one or the other, but I cannot lie that if we didn't do the crowdfunding, my husband didn't push me to do that video. We would not be standing here today. Everything else in between does take a part in the role that it plays, like accepting crypto. It's not your usual tactic, but we don't want to be that brand that is scared to try something new and something that we've kind of figured out, both me and my husband. It's kind of like good and also a weakness in that sense. So, we've noticed that we pick up on trends a year or two way too early, but we never were shy to try it out. For example, the collaborations with artists, that was mainly to create an awareness for the artists. So one of the local artists we work with, it was an expat here in Phuket, actually, Ferenz. And we wanted to just help bring that awareness so that he would also sell his paintings and so on. And so help them grow their business. Unfortunately, it didn't take off that well, but he is doing well, which is great. So, we don't want to be just, you know, our brand. We want to support other entrepreneurs to start up their own coffee business. Or if there's somebody out there that needs help, if we can do something to help, we would do it. And the same goes with positive impact as well.
Debbie:
[13:23] I love that, Susan, experimenting, helping others and innovating your approach. One of the innovations that you've done is you've created custom coffee setups
Debbie:
[13:32] with machines, local roast, and branded drip bags for real estate offices and open houses. So, what inspired this pivot to enhance client experiences and boost closing rates?
Susan:
[13:46] So we started out with general white labeling solutions for businesses. We have a lot of experts from around the world that are looking to start up their own coffee business. So we provided the white labeling solution. That was kind of the natural cost. We're not married to our brand that everything has to be our brand. Like we want it to grow and to grow, we have to grow together. The real estate sector came with a marketing twist because my digital marketing background was that each business needs a tool to close their sales, whichever sector they may be. And there are little details that people tend to overlook, like the experience that people get or the things that you leave them or give them that they walk away with that they will remember because it's such a small gesture. And coffee is kind of something that not everybody drinks, but a lot of people drinks. So it's items that you need daily. So we said, okay, you could just give this little gifts, brand it with your developments or whichever company you are, and hand it out to your clients. They take away a piece of your brand with them. They drink the coffee. Usually the coffee is paired with whatever the owner's preference is. And they'll like the coffee and they'll remember your brand. So that was a marketing angle for them to increase their brand awareness and make people remember their brand.
Debbie:
[15:14] That also gives a personal touch.
Susan:
[15:16] Yes, exactly. Something that people can use and actually will remember.
Debbie:
[15:21] And Susan, you're also focused on raising the standards of Thai coffee, not just domestically, but internationally. How does your coffee tasting kit actually change the way people buy coffee, moving them from passive consumption to active discovery.
Susan:
[15:38] I did that product because I hated going to the shops and buying these. Usually, they were 500 grams back in the day, bags, and you don't know whether you're going to like the coffee or not. And then you bought it, you paid the price, and obviously you would drink through the entire bag eventually.
Susan:
[15:58] And I thought, you know what, it'd be great to just be able to taste a little bit. So I thought, okay, look, it's not rocket science to make little tiny bags of 50 grams to already have the coffee. Let people discover the coffee because the thing is, the same misconception that I had was that Thai coffee was pure, dark, bitter coffee. And it isn't. There's so much out there that you just need to know where to look or you need to taste them. It's like food. Like you would go to one restaurant, maybe you'd like the food, maybe you don't, but then you try another and you like that place or your friend recommends you a place that hey this restaurant's great and then you go there like i don't see what they're talking about because we all have different preferences and the tasting kit was meant to be a tool for them to dare to try something different not get tied to a big bag discover different flavors and see what the coffee really is about because each roast that have their story they have their techniques they have their preference, so they put their passion into it. And the best way to really discover these coffees is to just try them out with smell life.
Debbie:
[17:08] I love it, the coffee sampler, because it allows you to try other different flavors without that risk of being saddled with a big bag that you have to finish that you don't quite love.
Susan:
[17:20] Yeah.
Debbie:
[17:21] Now, let's talk about scale, Susan. you have an ambitious vision of a coffee supermarket with taps dispensing beans from roasters across Thailand and eventually replicating this model across Southeast Asia. In your mind, what is the most critical infrastructure change or partnership that needs to happen for this Southeast Asia vision to become a reality?
Susan:
[17:44] Well, so we kind of tackled the business model in an untraditional way, which is a reverse engineer instead of starting with a brick and mortar shop front we started with an online and to this day we still don't have a physical store we get a lot of people asking but honestly the costs that are involved to getting that done it is cash intensive and we'd rather build the brand to be worldwide recognized as the place to buy Thai coffee we're happy that I mean from where we started when people didn't really know Thai coffee. Now it actually is considered as an exotic Thai coffee. I'm not saying that coffee culture did it, but it's great to see how this has shifted and not just within Thailand, but worldwide recognition.
Susan:
[18:32] And for that dream to happen, we've looked into it for the last two years. And I think it's more of a struggle of cash injection. We're actually rounding up for investment, but it's growing in the right way so that we're not with a huge burn rate that, you know, the brick and mortar shops have. We might actually have a different concept rather than a shop front itself. More of a way to tackle, let's say within Thailand for the tourism outbound when they leave. I won't say what it is, but
Susan:
[19:06] That might actually be more of a small scale idea that could be carried out. I mean, I love the dream that I have of having a job where people would be able to come and do a workshop, learn about Thai coffee, go on farm tours and things like that. And then having the dispenser, it's just so pretty to see and having them to be able to taste different coffee at that area. But it's very sensitive to location.
Debbie:
[19:34] If that vision happens, I would love to come and see that. You know, you have it in taps, you just bring your own packaging. That would be great. The sustainability.
Susan:
[19:44] Correct. Yeah. So you would do a refill kind of thing as well, option there. And if you're going away, then you would put packaging in the bag if they need it. It would be great to just go there and just see all these filled up refillers. It looks amazing.
Debbie:
[19:58] As coffee culture grows, in your mind, what core metrics matters most to you? Is it revenue, number of roasters you support, consumer education, or is there a different metric that truly defines your success right now?
Susan:
[20:15] Honestly, since the beginning to now, the thing that I'm most happy and proud of is we had roasters who message us and say, hey, thank you so much for ordering coffees from us. There's a hill tribe up in Chiang Mai we work for, and they were small scale roasters. I mean, they still are. Most of the ones that we work with are. But they've grown so much that they give you this love and appreciation. And I just feed off of that. It's amazing to know that you made a difference. Key metrics, obviously, is revenue and brand recognition. So for us, having people saying, oh, wow, coffee culture. Yeah, we've heard of you guys. I don't know how you've heard of us, but they've heard of us, which is amazing. And then the revenue, we make more sales means our roasters and farmers make more sales, which is great.
Debbie:
[21:05] Entrepreneurs building community-driven food and beverage brands. What's the single most important lesson from your journey that they must internalize for them to succeed?
Susan:
[21:16] I would say definitely go for whatever your passion is. And in my case, I started with what I like in the coffee sector. So I tell every single startups that we work with, not just startups and brands as well, that it is best that you represent the product that you believe in because then you can fully sell it with your whole heart and your customers will feel that, right? And it's not just about your brand. It's a community. I believe that for immense growth, you need to work together.
Debbie:
[21:49] To close, Susan, if you had to define the soul of coffee culture in a single compelling story or metaphor, something that encapsulates not just what you do, but why you do it, what would it be?
Susan:
[22:02] That's a tough one. If it was a metaphor, it would be that's connected to coffee, the seed that connects us all. Because it starts with a simple seed that a farmer somewhere decided to just go into the coffee sector. In this case, most of them is because agriculture is tough. So they plant the seed, they grow the tree, and the tree bears a fruit. And then another roaster who has a passion for roasting coffee decided to grab their beans, roast the coffee, we sell it. And then the customer on the other end decides to try out Thai coffee. It's kind of like a full circle of life, I guess you would say. And that's what we want to be at Coffee Culture for coffee, for Thai coffee in particular.
Debbie:
[22:49] I love that metaphor seed.
Susan:
[22:51] I think it encapsulates everything.
Debbie:
[22:55] Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure having you on the show.
Susan:
[22:59] Thank you for having me. Amazing that you are covering all this entrepreneur journey. It's not easy and we all need this. So thank you so much for taking so much effort into doing it.
Debbie:
[23:11] What truly stood out for me wasn't just the amazing coffee that you have, but the purpose behind it. Your business acts as a powerful bridge, connecting rural farmers with urban coffee lovers, sharing the richness of Thai culture with the world, and showing how commerce and community can grow together. So that's the essence of true impact-driven entrepreneurship, turning every cup into a story of connection and change.
Susan:
[23:37] Thank you.
Debbie:
[23:40] For everyone listening, if you'd like to taste a coffee for yourself, head over to coffeeculture.asia and check out their coffee tasting kit. It's a chance to experience the rich flavors and the stories behind every cup. Before we wrap up, hit follow or subscribe wherever you're listening. Share this with someone who's building a business with purpose and heart and consider leaving a quick review. Your support allows us to keep creating content that inspires and connects. Until next time, keep brewing great ideas.
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