About us
Our first roasting plant
Spenard circa 1975.
Café del Mundo was the first to introduce coffee roasting to Alaska back in 1975, long before it was trendy. The coffee industry has changed so much since then and we have aged too, but not our coffee.
What makes Café Del Mundo different from other coffee roasters? For starters, our years of coffee roasting experience, simply stated, nobody has been roasting coffee in Alaska longer than Café Del Mundo. We use the highest quality green (raw) coffee and roast it to perfection at our warehouse in Anchorage.
Since our humble beginnings, we have learned so much about coffee, the art of roasting and how it interacts with the coffee brewing and espresso equipment. We have also gotten to know many of the coffee growers, exporters and importers on a first name basis, they are not just business associates they are our partners, they are our friends.
Find Us
Perry with Juan Valdez
Near Chinchina, Colombia
Café del Mundo’s coffeehouse/retail location is located at 341 East Benson Blvd. We opened this location in the Spring of 1982. You can drop by and have a “designer coffee” creation, freshly baked delights, from La Roma Bakery. Or maybe you may be in the mood for a little gelato, which we make ourselves. Warning! Gelato can be habit forming. We have not forgotten our non-coffee drinking friends, as we offer numerous varieties of Twinings Tea, chai and juices. The Benson Blvd. location is a virtual Anchorage institution in a warm, friendly environment. Past governors, retirees, students, authors and just regular folks can be seen there.
We also have a kiosk, conveniently located in the Dimond Center, at the entrance next to Best Buy. The kiosk is open 7 days a week, and offers a full-range of coffee drinks and assorted beverages.
Perry and Señor Francisco Arriola
Antigua, Guatemala
Café del Mundo is served at many of the finest restaurants in and outside of Anchorage. We encourage our wholesale customers not to buy any more coffee than they need to, to help ensure the coffee they serve is consistently fresh.
Café del Mundo is available through most of the major super-markets in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley and throughout Southcentral Alaska. Our coffee is usually offered in pre-packed bags and/or bulk. Coffee can be ground to your specifications at our display.
The Community
Café del Mundo is very active with non-profit organizations and the community in general. We often donate coffee to various shelters and groups and volunteer time and services for those in need. Café del Mundo has been acknowledged for our goodwill and has been awarded the "North Star Award" by the American Cancer Society. We have also received an award for "Outstanding Small Business in Philanthropy." Perry Merkel, owner of Café del Mundo has served on several non-profit boards and is still very active with Anchorage's public radio and television stations and the Anchorage unit of the American Cancer Society.
Recognition
La Medalla al Merito
In 2001, Café del Mundo received international recognition with the "Medalla al Merito Cafetero de Manual Mejia" by the Colombian Coffee Federation in Bogota, Colombia. The ceremony was held in Bogota, Colombia. Café del Mundo was the 6th recipient in North America to receive this award, a very high honor.
