Our Story
This is the story of how Peter and Cheri Valerio decided to bring great Brazilian coffee to the people of the United States.
Peter’s Uncle, Demetrio Ferro, started working for Olavo Barbosa, known as the King of Coffee, at the age of 12, helping in the warehouses. By the age of 15 he was working directly with the coffee.
Demetrio Ferro worked as the General Manager of the Top 5 Exporter of coffee in Brazil, Exportadora de café Guaxupe. He worked his entire career of 53 years for this wonderful company.
Olavo Barbosa with Demetrio Ferro and his wife, Maria Helena. Maria Helena Gonzales Ferro and Peter’s mother, Regina Antonio Gonzales Valerio, are sisters.
Peter Valerio, founder of Sao Pedro Café, grew up playing hide and seek at this pictured warehouse with his cousins. There are a series of warehouses in Guaxupe that can store up to one million 2-ton bags of coffee for exportation.
Peter lived with his Aunt and Uncle from the ages of 16-18 and worked at a coffee company in Guaxupe, Brazil. Peter watched his family sorting beans and roasting coffee for years and developed a love of coffee. Peter served in the military in Brazil for 5 years and afterward moved to the USA.
Peter met Cheri, and in December 2018, Cheri and Peter traveled to Brazil and visited with Uncle Demetrio. We learned about coffee and toured the coffee farms. We reminisced of family and coffee stories.
It was such a pleasure touring the farms and learning about the various kinds and qualities of coffee beans.
It was neat to see how they are grown, harvested, and sorted by size and grade. We savored the delicious coffee and wished we could have this great coffee every day! We made the decision to bring Brazilian coffee to our home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. It is exciting to share this process with you and bring great quality beans to the USA from Brazil.
We bought and shipped 13 tons of coffee, roasting machines, and equipment to the USA. By June of 2020, the warehouse gas, electrical, plumbing, painting, and decorating were complete. The roasting equipment was officially installed, the permits were obtained, and the branding and labels were ready to begin roasting and sampling coffee in Lakewood Ranch, FL.
Peter went to a roasting school in Brazil with the roasting machine designer. He has loved learning to consistently make the perfect, smooth roast of Medium, Dark, Italian Espresso, or Traditional coffee.
Call to schedule a visit to the Sampling Room at the Sao Pedro Café Warehouse. See the roasting process, savor the sweet smells, enjoy a sample cup, and take home a pound of coffee roasted by Peter just for you! See if our coffee is right for your business, café, restaurant, or retail customers.
Call Today to Schedule
941-567-6647
