Today we’d like to introduce you to Milan Sljivich
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I spent 10 years in the corporate world with Nestlé and Keurig Dr Pepper, when I decided to go after my dream of owning my own business. That experience gave me the skills and confidence to stand up this company, set up the operational infrastructure, and build relationships with all types of customers and consumers. I saw an opportunity to start importing coffee from our family’s farm in El Salvador and set up operations here in the U.S.
Becoming a vertically integrated roaster has been a game-changer—it allows us to control quality and supply every step of the way, from farm to cup.
In November 2023, Milan launched Escondido with a vision to close the coffee production cycle. By managing each step, from cultivation, importing, roasting, and packaging to direct sales, Escondido achieves total control over quality, ensuring every bean receives the utmost care. Escondido also sources coffees from more than 7 origins around the world, with more to come. Our roasting facility in Little River, Miami, has the capacity to roast more than 120,000 pounds per year, with room to scale as demand grows.
Escondido offers a variety of options to serve our community’s diverse needs: retail bags (12 oz), wholesale bags (2 and 5 lbs), and private label services, where we roast coffee under our client’s brand. Driven by sustainable practices and chemical-free farming, we’re committed to enhancing the quality of our beans while investing in the coffee-growing community by promoting education.
Our mission is to provide the highest quality specialty coffee with unmatched service and professionalism, and our vision is to bring Escondido coffee to every home, office, restaurant, and café across the country. With an expanding presence beyond South Florida, we’re working to build a national client base and share the extraordinary taste of Escondido far and wide.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been an easy road. Being new in a market with many competitors made it difficult for us to stand out among the competition, but doing things right, bringing the best quality coffee, professionalism and putting the customer as a priority has made Escondido stand out in the market.
Some other struggles we face (along with other specialty coffee roasters) is consumer knowledge around our product. “Specialty coffee” is a term that is frequently misused; educating the end consumer on our quality is our top priority.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Escondido Specialty Coffee?
Escondido Specialty Coffee is a Miami-based specialty coffee roaster and importer dedicated to bringing the finest specialty-grade coffee from farm to cup. We specialize in premium coffee sourced directly from our family-owned finca in El Salvador and other origins in Latin America. We are one of very few (though a lot of folks like to claim it!) vertically integrated roasters in South Florida. We grow our own crops, process them at our own facilities (at origin), import them on our own dedicated containers, and roast them in our own facility here in Little River. It doesn’t get more direct than Escondido!
What sets us apart is our commitment to quality at every stage of the process. Owning the entire value chain of our product allows us to have sustainable farming practices as it relates to the welfare of our team and the lands we cultivate.
We offer flexible options, from retail 12 oz bags to wholesale offerings and private label services, tailoring our services to coffee shops, offices, hotels, and restaurants nationwide. We also offer green coffee in container loads, a part of our business where we’ve had increasing interest.
Brand-wise, we’re most proud of our dedication to sustainability and community education in the coffee-growing regions, supporting local farmers while maintaining a hands-on approach that guarantees exceptional quality. At Escondido, coffee is more than a product, it’s a passion we’re excited to share with coffee lovers everywhere!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Getting started is key! Don’t wait for the right moment, it will never come, just start and keep pushing. Staying focused is also key when you’re working toward big goals or starting out—there will be a million things that will distract you along the way, but keeping your eyes on the prize will help you make real progress. Make decisions quickly and confidently, and don’t be afraid to change course if things aren’t going as planned. It also helps to get into an industry you already know; that way, you won’t have to spend too much time learning the ropes. With focus, quick decisions, and a willingness to pivot, you’ll be set up to keep pushing forward and make things happen.
Pricing:
- When you purchase from our website you have the option to subscribe to receive coffee on a weekly, bi-monthly or monthly basis and receive a 10% discount. Subscribe and save!
- For wholesale, we have flexible prices according to the size of the business and the volume of purchases.
- For private label, there is no MOQ
- The price of our green coffee is negotiable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.escondidospecialtycoffee.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escondidocoffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/escondidospecialtycoffee/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/escondido-specialty-coffee-miami
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@escondido.coffee
