Marc Tormo
Founder & CEO
What is the history behind Marc's Coffees, and what made you venture into the coffee business, and what inspired the name Marc's Coffees?
It all started when I visited India back in the 90’. The country impacted me a great deal. I somehow intuitively felt I would one day come and settle in India. I fell in love with coffee in 1993, thanks to the guidance of Italian and Catalan coffee professionals in Barcelona. They encouraged my sister and me to experiment with coffee and open our own specialty cafes. When I returned to India in 1997, I had a vision for my coffee brand, but the market was not yet ready, so I waited until 2008, when Marc's
Coffee was born. The name of the brand was chosen because it is easy to pronounce and remember and is connected to the founder’s name. It was indeed coffee with Mark, so Marc’s coffee was born.
As the CEO of the firm, what is the most crucial leadership skill that you’ve learned from steering your business ahead?
To build a team that feels very much part of the brand, and be able to raise the level of the product and the services gradually to keep everyone on board. Capacity-building programs with the team have created a positive impact on their personal development as well as professionally. Engaging with the coffee planters where we source our coffee has been a key factor in building a strong bond and ensuring the highest quality and consistent supply.
What were the initial challenges you faced during your journey and how did you achieve the ladder of success?
The mindset of the customers and the planters. Education on both ends was needed and very few programs were available. It takes time to develop a taste for specialty coffee, which is why we have invested heavily in education programs and workshops. Technology in coffee processing did not exist 15 years ago, but things have changed and we now have access to cutting-edge equipment that allows us to improve the quality
As the CEO of the firm, what is the most crucial leadership skill that you’ve learned from steering your business ahead?
To build a team that feels very much part of the brand, and be able to raise the level of the product and the services gradually to keep everyone on board. Capacity-building programs with the team have created a positive impact on their personal development as well as professionally. Engaging with the coffee planters where we source our coffee has been a key factor in building a strong bond and ensuring the highest quality and consistent supply.
Quality and service consistency; recently, the online shop has been an important tool in reaching out to Pan India and bringing brand awareness to the northern estates
What were the initial challenges you faced during your journey and how did you achieve the ladder of success?
The mindset of the customers and the planters. Education on both ends was needed and very few programs were available. It takes time to develop a taste for specialty coffee, which is why we have invested heavily in education programs and workshops. Technology in coffee processing did not exist 15 years ago, but things have changed and we now have access to cutting-edge equipment that allows us to improve the quality
of our coffees even further.
Kindly enumerate your array of coffee flavors with their unique specialty. Additionally, throw some light on the health benefits that your coffee products offer to the consumers.
We have a wide variety of coffees, each with its own distinct flavor. We categorize them by roast profile as customer preferences range from light, medium, and dark roast. We do have a section of Nano lots and international coffees in limited quantities for those connoisseurs looking for something unique and exclusive. We are organic certified roasters to ensure that the coffee you drink is safe to drink and is done in harmony with nature.
What are the marketing and distribution strategies that you have adopted to dominate the market and what are your strategies to deliver premium quality brands to customers?
Specialty coffee is, by definition, not easily available, so mass marketing was not an option. We kept our brand in a very niche market, focusing on quality and matching our customers’ expectations by being loyal to our core values. We are roasting high-quality low-volume coffee for those who appreciate buying coffee roasted in small batches, by someone that you can reach and talk about it. Engaging personally with customers is the best way to connect with them and experience the coffee in its setting, and the cafe-store in Auroville has been the best marketing for us.
Marc Tormo, Founder & CEO, Marc's Coffees
Marc Tormo, originally from Barcelona, is a coffee roaster, entrepreneur, trained Arabica and Robusta Q Grader, brewer and creative consultant, with more than 25 years of international experience in the specialty coffee movement. He has lived in Auroville south of India since 1997.
Kindly enumerate your array of coffee flavors with their unique specialty. Additionally, throw some light on the health benefits that your coffee products offer to the consumers.
We have a wide variety of coffees, each with its own distinct flavor. We categorize them by roast profile as customer preferences range from light, medium, and dark roast. We do have a section of Nano lots and international coffees in limited quantities for those connoisseurs looking for something unique and exclusive. We are organic certified roasters to ensure that the coffee you drink is safe to drink and is done in harmony with nature.
What are the marketing and distribution strategies that you have adopted to dominate the market and what are your strategies to deliver premium quality brands to customers?
Specialty coffee is, by definition, not easily available, so mass marketing was not an option. We kept our brand in a very niche market, focusing on quality and matching our customers’ expectations by being loyal to our core values. We are roasting high-quality low-volume coffee for those who appreciate buying coffee roasted in small batches, by someone that you can reach and talk about it. Engaging personally with customers is the best way to connect with them and experience the coffee in its setting, and the cafe-store in Auroville has been the best marketing for us.
Marc Tormo, Founder & CEO, Marc's Coffees
Marc Tormo, originally from Barcelona, is a coffee roaster, entrepreneur, trained Arabica and Robusta Q Grader, brewer and creative consultant, with more than 25 years of international experience in the specialty coffee movement. He has lived in Auroville south of India since 1997.