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Silver Spring, Maryland · Specialty Coffee Brand Deep Dive

Santa Lucia Estate Coffee

Editorial sacred-geometry artwork for Santa Lucia Estate Coffee; not a documentary photograph
IndependentNamed roasting partner: Undisclosed roastery in Queens, New YorkSourcing: Origin / region level
TagsSanta Lucia Estate CoffeeMaryland coffee roastersNicaraguaIndependentOrigin / region level
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Santa Lucia Estate Coffee is a family-owned importer and distributor based in Maryland that specializes exclusively in single-origin, shade-grown Nicaraguan coffee. They have served the Washington D.C. hospitality market for over three decades, providing high-quality beans that are hand-washed and patio-dried. The company maintains a direct-trade philosophy, focusing on sustainable practices and consistent roast profiles.

Ownership
Santa Lucia Estate Coffee is an independent, family-owned business founded by William Gutierrez and Jodi Lehr.
Founded
1990
Roasting
Named roasting partner: Undisclosed roastery in Queens, New York. Other roasting arrangements are unverified.
What it's known for
The brand is known for being one of the first importers of Nicaraguan coffee to the United States and for its long-standing focus on premium, single-origin Nicaraguan beans supplied to the hospitality industry.
Sourcing countries
Nicaragua
Farm-level sourcing
The brand sources exclusively from small, family-owned farms in the high-altitude mountains of Nicaragua. While they emphasize direct relationships and traceability to the source, they do not publicly name specific individual farms or farmers on their website.
Notable coffees
  • — Classic Roast
  • — Vienna Roast
  • — Estate Decaf Roast
Sources used in this deep dive
Research disclosure — this profile was compiled from public online sources on 2026-10-27. This company overview is not a tasting review. Original tasting reviews are labeled separately when they exist. Ownership, roasting and sourcing details are attributed to documented sources. While the brand mentions direct relationships with farms, I could not verify the specific names of the individual farms or producers they source from.

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