Cafe Fama de America and its history

What is Fama de America?

Fama de America is a company with more than 120 years of history and tradition. It was established by Bernardo Gonzales Palenzuela, who arrived in Venezuela in 1884. He started the company in 1887, buying coffee beans that he then toasted and grounded to sell to nearby shops. After going back to Tenerife in 1900, Gonzales returned to Venezuela that same year with his wife Josefa Rodriguez Seijas who then joined the business. Thus, the company became a family initiative, with their children eventually helping to grow the company too.

When Bernardo eventually fell ill, Fama de America (though this was not yet the company’s name at the time) was taken over by his wife Josefa. Along with the help of their children, Bernardo and Nemesio, the company continued to grow. In 1926, they decided to rent an establishment for their company; an establishment named “Fama de America”- a name which stuck around. The coffee was toasted in a house nearby and then sold there. Around this same time, the company launched its first packaging, including a logo.

Aside from their infamous logo, the company also later aired its first advert in 1960:

Fama de America and its industrialisation

Unfortunately, in 1928, the shop burnt in a fire. However, this still didn’t stop the family from continuing to make cafe Fama de America. Thanks to Gabriel Machado, the shop was able to open again by the end of the year. Nevertheless, Fama de America’s coffee did not remain solely in this shop, being made in a nearby house. Eventually, the company was industrialised, making the process of toasting and grounding the coffee more efficient. By 1943, when Josefa decided to retire from the family business, Fama de America’s production had quadrupled.

By 2002, Fama de America’s coffee and other products had expanded all over Venezuela, and they continue to bring happiness to Venezuelan households across the globe.

“A la gente le doy sabor y aroma”

Bernardo Gonzales Palenzuela