It all started with John Guerra’s brother, Paul, one of Florida’s quintessential “surfer dudes.” As a surfer, Paul’s need for energy was supported by a constant diet of the popular Red Bull energy drink. Then he was introduced to yerba mate. The celebrated South American infusion found a new believer in Paul and he switched to yerba mate with gusto.
 
John was intrigued by his older brother’s excitement and decided to try yerba mate for himself. Now there were two young men who couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. They told all of their friends and family and it didn’t take long for the two brothers and their father, Steve, to start developing a business plan. John says his father serves as the “suit” in their cottage enterprise, keeping the business fiscally responsible.

They located a family farm in Argentina that could produce a high quality yerba mate for them to “private label” with their new brand name — Yerba Yerba. The loose tea product was packaged in “leaf only” (sin palo) and “whole plant” (con palo). For their modest product launch, they did all of their own packaging and shipping from a small industrial office/warehouse just outside of Orlando. Yerba Yerba was off and running.

The ever-practical Steve kept warning them the U.S. market was never going to buy in to the traditional South American custom of sipping yerba mate from a gourd through a bombilla. These discussions evolved into a core Yerba Yerba mission of making yerba mate more user friendly.

They reasoned the messy clean up of yerba mate could be eliminated if they took the popular tea bag concept a step further. The answer was an oversized Yerba Yerba tea bag. Most yerba mate tea bags hold 1.5 to 3 grams of yerba. Yerba Yerba offers jumbo 6 and 12 gram bags.

The giant sized tea bags can be used in several ways. Put one in a coffee cup and fill and refill the cup with hot water until the yerba mate becomes lavado (or “washed out”).  This repetitive refilling procedure is similar to the way South Americans sip for hours from their gourd — but without the lengthy preparation ritual and the messy clean up afterwards.

You can also put a bag in a pitcher or a large sport drink bottle and fill it with cold water to make terere, a cold yerba mate similar to iced tea. The container can be topped off or refilled for multiple uses from the same bag. John says his customers are coming up with new uses for the jumbo sized bags all the time.

One creative use of the giant tea bags is to make mate cocido, or brewed mate, in an automatic drip coffee maker. It’s pre-measured in a way that simplifies the brewing process and there is no messy cleanup. Here is how I suggest you do it:

1. Pour the desired amount of cool water into the reservoir of the coffee maker.

2. Place the tea bag in the bottom of the carafe and soak with cool water.

3. IMPORTANT: Let the tea bag steep for three minutes or more in the cool water.

 
 
4. Place the soaking wet tea bag in the brewing basket.
 
5. Turn on the coffee maker, brew and enjoy.

 
 
The 6 gram bag is perfect for about 4 cups of mate cocido.  This should yield about three 11 ounce mugs of yerba mate. The 12 gram bag is just about right for an 8 to 10 cup coffee maker. You could adjust the strength in two ways: Steep the bags in the cool water less time to make it weaker — more time to make it stronger, or use more than one bag to make it a lot stronger. 

John talks passionately about his business and yerba mate. “When people say: ‘tell me about mate,’ I could go on and on and on…” he says. But, he is trying to be more passive these days, saying “I try to hold back on it, because it sounds like an infomercial.”  John also says he receives more satisfaction from his new approach: “Give them the cup. Let the people drink it. Then, they will tell you why it’s great.”

 
Armed with new innovative brewing methods and the spirit of Johnny Appleseed, Guerra claims a retail operation had to follow. This was the birth of their new Yerba Yerba Cafe and Workshop. The distinctive black and yellow “mate bar” makes a miniscule footprint measuring only about 12 feet by 20 feet — including the kitchen and restroom. A note to sippers: It may be small, but it does have Wi-Fi.
 
The little mate bar sells tea bags and loose yerba. You can also buy a freshly brewed cup of yerba mate, either hot or cold, for only one dollar. The limited menu offers variations as unique as the rest of the Yerba Yerba concept. It was the first time I ever tried Tabasco flavored yerba mate for example — and I liked it too. John now has a regular clientele and boasts of converting plenty of former coffee and Red Bull drinkers to the much healthier alternative.
 
The fledgling brand is now on a quest to put Yerba Yerba into as many local establishments as possible. I had lunch at one such local eatery — The Dandelion Cafe. The waitress took great pride in telling me the yerba mate they served was a “high quality, locally branded, organic product.”

 
Can you believe John has accomplished all of this in just a year and a half? I don’t know what’s next for Yerba Yerba, but I have great confidence in the outcome.

Salud!

Imagine this: You’re sitting in a garden patio in the Sunnyslope suburb of Greater Phoenix. You can hear birds chirping in trees that provide a welcomed shade in Arizona’s notorious Valley of the Sun. You smile to yourself. This is not the region’s traditional cactus garden; it’s an unexpected oasis. You sip your yerba mate from a leather covered gourd and occasionally pour a little more hot water from your thermos so you can sip – and smile – some more. You’re at peace. Life is good.

I really had that experience. I was in Phoenix, surfing the net looking for a good place to have lunch, when “quite by accident” I found a place on the visitphoenix.com website described as a “boutique South-American themed cafe.”

“Try yerba mate,” the web listing went on to say “the national drink of Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.” That did it. I was on my way.

Bomberos, which means firemen in Spanish, is the perfect name chosen by Oscar and Kristi Mastrantuono for their offbeat establishment. It occupies a former fire station in the Sunnyslope neighborhood a few miles outside of Phoenix proper.

From the outside, Bomberos Cafe and Wine Bar doesn’t offer any clues about the surprises inside. Oscar’s signature “fire-engine red” motor scooter parked out front being the single exception.

We chose a table in the outdoor patio behind the cafe. As we were being seated, my wife Patti ordered a cup of brewed mate and I ordered the traditional service. The waitress eyed me with a little suspicion, probably wondering if I knew what traditional service really meant. But she was polite and didn’t make any patronizing remarks.

A few minutes later Oscar Mastrantuono, the owner himself, delivered a mate gourd, bombilla and thermos to our table. On this particular day he was serving Canarias brand yerba mate, a favorite in Uruguay. He was probably as interested in seeing who was ordering his prized offering as I was in seeing who prepared it. We immediately struck up a conversation about mate and Oscar’s background.

Oscar is serious about introducing the culture and traditions of South America to the United States. He likes bringing out the mate paraphernalia because of the attention it attracts. “It piques people’s curiosity” he says. They ask: “What’s that weird kinda thing?” Then, he tells them “all about the traditions, the antioxidants, the social gathering, sharing the same straw and taking time to relax and enjoy it.”

“Here in the States,” he says, “when you drink coffee, you drink it in ten minutes and you’re done, tops fifteen minutes. This (mate) is two hours, maybe an hour and a half. It’s like a fine bottle of wine, but the great thing (about mate) is you can drink it all day long.”

Oscar was born in Uruguay and moved to New York when he was a little kid of about five years old. Then he moved back to Uruguay when he was ten and back again to the States years later. In Uruguay, he lived in Montevideo, the capital, and nearby Carrasco.

As a youngster, Oscar worked in his father’s grocery store, but his career path eventually took a different direction: through the hospitality industry. He learned to be a “professional” at hotel guest services from the ground up: first, as a valet who parked cars; then a bellman; then guest services manager; and finally sales manager. He wanted to learn it all, even though they didn’t take him seriously when he applied for a housekeeping position.

The “concept” of Bomberos is far more impressive than a first glance lets on. They open at 7:00 am for morning coffee – or yerba mate for the enlightened – and a breakfast of omelets, breakfast wraps, yogurt, granola and pastries. Then at midday they serve a light lunch with a variety of salads, panini sandwiches, bruschetta, cheeses, olives, meats and a variety of desserts.

The featured South American wines and Latin American beers complement the fare all day, but especially after work and into the night. During the week they close at midnight and at 1:00 am on Friday and Saturday.

Add to this: WiFi, a big screen TV tuned to South American soccer games in the cafe dining room and weekend entertainment that features live musical talent from South America. All of the cultural amenities contributed to a successful first year of operation. If you missed the point here, Bomberos has something to attract people every hour of the day!

“The reason why I did this,” Oscar says, “is because, obviously, I am proud of being from South America and a Uruguayan. When people visit from Argentina or Brazil or Uruguay or Venezuela or anywhere in South America, they feel like they’re at home. It brings them all together.” I noticed that patrons from the U.S. like Bomberos too.

Oscar’s parents now own a grocery store in New York; his brother and sister own their own businesses and he has longed to own his own business too. Bomberos satisfies this longing. “I had to try it” he said.

I asked how he felt about the time and financial commitment he made to open his dream business – not to mention the risks and challenges involved. He chuckled because apparently this is a common question. His quick answer is: “My wife has a real job.”

Salud!

Just a few blocks from the center of this little town is the brand new Guayaki Yerba Mate Bar. At last, a yerba mate bar that unabashedly sells yerba mate any way you want it. There is no hiding behind a long list of coffees and teas; this is the real deal. The place sells healthy organic food, snacks and yerba mate — just like mate bars in South America.

This was a special stop for me, because I had pre-arranged a meeting with the folks at Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. Guayaki is the dominant U.S. brand of yerba mate. Guayaki Co-Founder, Alex Pryor, was in the U.S. on one of his infrequent visits, which made this meeting even more special. I last visited with Alex at his home in Argentina two years ago.

 

Alex Pryor and Richard Bruehl

We talked for a few minutes and then Richard Bruehl, Vice-President of Operations, went for a mate gourd. In the traditional mate circle, we all shared a mate prepared by Alex, the Chief Cebador for Guayaki, and opined about world ecology. Everybody at Guayaki is passionate about saving the planet from pollution, waste and the rampant destruction of natural resources. To them yerba mate is a tool for bringing peoples from many cultures together to create a larger self-sustaining world community.

Later in the morning Richard led us on a tour of the Sebastopol facility, pointing out differences from their previous headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California. I was so wrapped up in the tour I almost forgot the main reason I came was to experience the new mate bar.

The mate bar is located on Highway 12 as you approach the center of Sebastopol from Santa Rosa. It has excellent street exposure and parking next to the building on either side. A tropical rainforest-themed mural adorns the entrance facade and initiates patrons to the jungle theme inside.

 

The interior is tastefully decorated with photos and artifacts from South America that produce an excellent atmosphere for a quiet yerba mate to be enjoyed alone or with friends. I noticed that people came in two or three at a time. One woman came in by herself, but she was accompanied by her laptop. The Guayaki Mate Bar has free Wi-Fi.

Adrienne Peters is the Manager of the Mate Bar, which has only been open for about a month. Adrienne did not just start when they opened however. She has helped with layout, design, construction, decorating and stocking for months. Her background in art, dance, teaching, personal training and restaurant management all played a part in bringing the perfect “jungle lounge” atmosphere to Sebastopol. But, the capper to her qualifications — she has been drinking yerba mate since 1995 — that’s before Guayaki was even founded!

The Guayaki Mate Bar is not just another “cookie-cutter” cafe. The menu boasts many locally grown organic foods that change with the seasons to assure freshness and variety. Local artists and craftsmen have created special pieces of furniture to complement South American artifacts and even the pictures on the walls tell the story of yerba mate.

We were so impressed with this U.S. version of a mate bar that we went back the next day for a morning mate and lunch. Like I mentioned earlier, you can get any kind of mate you want. Patti asked for a Brewed Mate and I ordered the full “Gourd Service” while we pondered the lunch menu.

For the full Gourd Service, a cebador comes to the table with all of the “fixin’s” to prepare a mate — loose yerba, a small container of cool water, a large pot of hot water, a ceramic gourd and a bombilla. You can order the individual size like I did, or a larger size to share with friends. For the novice, the cebador will help prepare one of the Guayaki gourds for you or show you how to prepare your own gourd. A good mate bar in Argentina will offer this same courtesy — but wait, this is right here in California!

Patti ordered a “bountiful green” salad for lunch. It was topped with a special organic dressing and apple slices and came with a side of toasted organic bread. I ordered a “trio” of organic empanadas (beef, chicken and veggie) that came with a side salad, curried cashews and chimichurri on the side. This was the first time I ever tried chimichurri, which is a famous Argentine sauce. It’s to die for!

Adrienne told us they were still tweaking the menu and some of their procedures. They are in no hurry to “go big;” they just want to dial-in a good little mate bar that can also serve as a retail outlet for some of the Guayaki products. The adjacent headquarters is not really open to the public, so this little storefront operation serves a very useful purpose.

One change that already occurred was the hours of operation. It turns out that the Sebastopol patrons really don’t arrive at the crack of dawn as anticipated. Current hours are: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekends. Their biggest rush starts at 10:00 a.m.

Your biggest rush should be to visit the Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate Bar at 6782 Sebastopol Avenue in Sebastopol, California. Your mate is waiting!

 Salud!

I ordered a cold mate with lemon at the Rei do Mate. It just hit the spot on this warm, muggy November day. Other people must have been searching for the same relief too because the place was packed. As I sipped from my glass, I recalled a few mate bars in Rio de Janeiro with the same name and later that day I passed by another Rei do Mate about a half mile away. Only then did I realize this place was part of a chain. I felt compelled to investigate.

The next morning I went back to the same Rei do Mate. This time I ordered a hot mate and asked the cashier if I could speak to the owner. It turns out that the cashier was the owner. An owner working the register may sound like a small operation, but there were six other people in bright green and blue uniforms working there too. They were all crammed behind the counter - filling orders, cleaning up, re-stocking supplies and being gracious to customers. I asked the owner if his little store was a franchise. He smiled and said that it was. I didn’t trouble him with more questions because the line behind me was quite long.

Back at the hotel, I did some follow up research and discovered that the Rei do Mate headquarters was just a short distance away. With the help and language skills of my new ally, Caroline the concierge, I was able to schedule an appointment with Joao Baptista da Silva, Jr., Director of Franchising.

Joao Baptista is a jovial guy who has a job that suits him just perfectly. His English is rusty, but his spirit and concern are not. He put everything he had into the interview. As we talked, he drew words, numbers, percentages, charts and pictures on a stack of blank paper that he brought to the conference room where we met. Joao’s Portuguese accent made the word mate sound like “MAHcheh” and Rei do Mate sounded like “HAY dew MAHcheh.” He apologized for his limited English, but I assured him that I understood as he re-told the Rei do Mate story.

The Company has roots dating back to 1950 under the name of Casa do Mate. In 1978 a different store was opened with the name of Rei do Mate – right next door. The two stores operated successfully as neighbors and competitors for some time before merging. The business was, and still is, family owned.

In 1991, Antonio Carlos Nasraui, son of owner Antonio Kalil, was graduating from the university and wanted to come to work in the family business. He had studied law and economics and this training was a perfect addition to the growing family business. There were four Company-owned locations at the time.

Making use of the legal knowledge and inspiration of Antonio Carlos, the Company began franchising in 1992. Timing was not the best however, because the whole country was struggling with hyper-inflation. Then, in 1994, the government made sweeping monetary changes to stabilize its currency. Rei do Mate survived this trauma and by 1998 the little chain of mate bars had grown to six Company-owned stores and 36 franchised locations. To guide the Company’s growth to the next plateau, Joao Baptista, formerly a franchising consultant, was hired to strengthen the team.

In 1998, 90% of the Company’s sales were from the mate drink and 10% were from everything else. Each store operated its own program and created its own problems. Joao referred to their 36 franchisees as their “36 problems.” To fix the problems and accelerate the Company’s expansion, some changes had to be made to their concept. New products had to be added to the menu and new standardized systems had to be developed to get all of the franchised locations doing the same thing.

Eventually, all systems and procedures were standardized. The erva mate was processed as a syrup concentrate to become the base liquid for fruits, flavorings and other additives. Both hot and cold drinks were offered; there was something for all tastes. Sandwiches, pastries and desserts were added to the menu. New items like “copao de pao,” a cheese and bread snack, and “tost,” a specialty sandwich, became signature offerings. They even added chocolate, cappuccino, coffee and espresso drinks. The result was dramatically increased sales per store and no loss in mate sales, which now represent only about 30% to 35% of sales depending on location.

Rei do Mate is now the fifth largest franchise system in Brazil with 233 locations. They have outlets in 17 of Brazil’s 26 states including 117 in the state of Sao Paulo and 78 in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The top four franchises in Brazil are:

1. Bob’s (hamburgers),
2. McDonalds (hamburgers),
3. Casa do Pao de Quiejo (coffee/cheese breads), and
4. Habbib’s (Middle Eastern fast food).

In a country that is famous for being the world’s largest supplier of coffee, fifth position says plenty for erva mate. Rei do Mate has won numerous awards and recognitions for excellence in service and customer and franchisee satisfaction.

I asked Joao if there were any other chains of mate bars in Brazil. He said that a Rio de Janeiro based company called Mega Mate began a franchising effort a few years ago. He thought that they had between 20 and 30 locations, but wasn’t sure. (I also remembered seeing a Mega Mate in Rio de Janeiro last year.)

Rei do Mate offers many modern ways to get your mate infusion, but if you still prefer your mate the traditional way, they will sell you a gourd, a bomba and a kilo of loose yerba. Oops! I mean loose erva.

 Salud!

To learn more about Rei do Mate, visit their website at: www.reidomate.com.br (Sorry, it’s in Portuguese.)