To start a coffee business in Ecuador, decide first on your model—café, roastery, or exporter—and sequence compliance so you can open fast and legally. Incorporate a SAS via the Superintendencia de Compañías (online, ~48–72 hours), obtain your RUC at the SRI, choose the RIMPE regime if you qualify, and enable electronic invoicing with an SRI-approved software and a valid firma electrónica. Secure your patente municipal, permiso de funcionamiento, and fire department inspection; roasteries and packers also need ARCSA permits and documented BPM (Good Manufacturing Practices). For a café, verify zoning, install ventilation/gas to code, grease trap, and food-handler certificates; for a roastery, plan chimney clearance and LPG storage. Source coffees directly in Loja, Pichincha, or Zamora with specs: SCA 84+ score, 10–12% moisture, screen 15+, <5 defects/350 g; lock pricing in USD with quality-based differentials. Implement cupping and roast profiles, record lot traceability, and standardize labeling per applicable INEN norms. For exports, register in ECUAPASS (SENAE), get your exporter code, classify under HS 0901, obtain Agrocalidad phytosanitary certificates for green coffee, define Incoterms (FOB Guayaquil or Manta), and use GrainPro-lined bags. Set merchant acquiring (Datafast/Medianet/Kushki), enroll staff in IESS, and apply the correct IVA per SRI tariff for coffee sales.
