Benjamin Linder Café- León, Nicaragua

A quiet moment in the Ben Linder Café. »

The Puerto Cafe-Benjamin Linder is a coffee café in downtown León, just a few blocks from the University of León. The café attracts both a tourist and local clientele with its small, but delicious breakfast and lunch menu, and fabulous roasted-on-the-premise coffee (read more about Ben Linder coffee below). Recently Dean’s Bean Fair Trade Coffee donated an espresso machine to the café, thus expanding the menu from simple café Americano, to cappuccinos, mocaccinos, café con leche, espresso, lattes, and macchiatos.

Recently the café partnered with Lorenzo Lopez Lopez and his group of art students to sell art to visitors. The bright, colorful art makes great souvenirs and the proceeds benefit the café and the art students (read more about Lorenzo and his students below). The café is also conveniently located next to a cyber café, and rents out the back room to the Seeing Hands, Blind Massage group, so tourists can buy souvenirs, eat, have a great cappuccino, buy a bag of coffee to take home, get a massage and email their friends about the great time they are having, all in one place.

A mural on the wall of the café depicting the life of Ben Linder.  Painted by Massachusetts based artist Greg Stone. »

The Puerto Café-Benjamin Linder has several unique qualities that make it an appealing place to visit. It is one of the first fully accessible businesses in León, and all four corners of the intersection were made wheelchair accessible under the Polus Center “A City for Everyone” Project, funded by the Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. The Café is also committed to providing valued jobs to people with disabilities from the local community, and works under a non-profit model.

Puerto means port in Spanish. A port can be both an opening and a harbor, a place to replenish and rest, and a means of accessing the world. The cafe is also named after Ben Linder, an American who was killed during the Nicaraguan Civil War. Ben Linder worked diligently to improve the lives of Nicaraguan citizens by helping to build a hydroelectric plant. In naming the cafe after Ben, we celebrate his work and commitment to the Nicaraguan people. He remains an inspiration to others working toward promoting social justice and fairness throughout the world.

The cafe opened in 2001 through the efforts of the Polus Center, Deans Beans organic fair-trade coffee (which donated a coffee roaster), WIRED International (a San Francisco-based NGO), USAID's Leahy War Victims Fund, and the local community.

Next time you are in León see what the Ben Linder Café is doing for yourself!

Esquina Opuesta Unan
León, Nicaragua
011-50-5-311-0548

Ben Linder Organic Coffee

Two years ago Dennis Denis Pantaleon Alfaro Arcia received a grant from the Polus Center to begin a small coffee roasting business. Dean Cycon of Dean’s Beans Fair Trade Coffee donated a roaster and helped Dennis learn the fine art of coffee roasting, and voila, Ben Linder Café Coffee was born.

Dennis hard at work. »

Dennis, who lost his arm in an explosion during the Nicaraguan Civil War, has been so successful that he now provides coffee to the University of León, several local supermarkets, and is currently negotiating with local banks. Dennis travels to Jinotega and Matagalpa to buy the organic coffee beans and then roasts and packages it here in the Ben Linder Café.

For Dennis this is a family business and he often works with his son and daughter, who help him weigh and bag the coffee.

We encourage everyone to buy a bag of Dennis’ coffee and try it for yourself! Not only are you supporting Dennis and the Ben Linder Café with each bag you buy, but you will most certainly love this fresh, delicious, organic coffee. We know we do!

Lorenzo Lopez Lopez and his Art Students

Lorenzo (left, far back) teaching a class. »

The Sutiabas are one of 13 Indigenous groups in Nicaragua. The 36,000 Sutiabas living in government created settlements make up around 17% of the Department of León. The Sutiabas suffered a series of abuses under the Nicaraguan government, especially land loss during the tumultuous periods throughout the second half of the 20th century. Lorenzo Lopez Lopez helps keep the Sutiaba culture alive through his work as an art teacher. His small office is in the Sutiaba neighborhood, west of León, where he has a small museum containing Sutiaba artifacts and encourages his students to paint traditional, indigenous pictures.

The majority of Lorenzo’s students are poor and unable to pay for the art classes, so he does not take a salary and uses all the income to buy art supplies for his classes. He has over 30 students between the ages of 10 and 16 that he teaches on Saturdays.

We are proud to sell Lorenzo and his students’ artwork in the Ben Linder Café. They are a beautiful, traditional, meaningful souvenir that can brighten up any home. We know because they brighten ours.