Alexandria Coffee Shop Grows Its Own Beans on a Volcano in Panamá

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Tucked inside a cozy early-1900s house on South West Street, Via Volcán is the kind of coffee shop that seems to slow people down the moment they walk through the door.

The scent hits first — fresh-roasted coffee from beans grown on the slopes of Panamá’s Barú Volcano. Then come the conversations. Regulars greeting one another. Baristas explaining flavor notes. Customers lingering long after their cups are empty.

For founder and owner Chris McCausland, that atmosphere was always the point.

“Community is what matters most,” McCausland said.

The Alexandria coffee shop is deeply personal for him and his family. The beans are harvested from the family’s farm in Panamá, roasted locally, and brewed just steps from where customers gather daily.

Via Volcán’s coffee is sourced exclusively from the McCausland family farm on the slopes of Panamá’s Barú Volcano in the Santa Clara region of Chiriquí. The farm produces single-origin Geisha and Caturra coffees, grown in rich volcanic soil at roughly 1,500 meters above sea level, in what McCausland describes as an ideal microclimate for coffee cultivation.

The beans are selectively hand-harvested, sun-dried in Panamá, and then shipped to Northern Virginia, where they are roasted in small batches at Via Volcán’s micro-roastery to develop the flavor profiles the shop has become known for.

McCausland’s connection to Panamá stretches back to the 1980s, when he was stationed there during his Army years. It was also where he met his wife, Janina, whose family comes from the Boquete region, an area known worldwide for its coffee-growing conditions.

By the mid-1990s, the couple took a leap of faith after spotting farmland advertised in a newspaper near Barú Volcano.

“We started small,” McCausland recalled, describing how the family slowly planted portions of the 55-acre property over time rather than trying to develop it all at once.

That patience became part of the farm’s philosophy.

McCausland said he intentionally preserved nearly half the land as rainforest and has “never cut down a tree” on the property. When he needed lumber to build a cabin years later, he used a tree that had already been knocked down by lightning.

The approach wasn’t just environmental — it also helped create the delicate ecosystem needed to grow high-quality arabica coffee varieties, including the sought-after Geisha bean they are now cultivating.

“It takes patience,” he said of the Geisha crop. “You can’t rush it.”

The idea for a coffee shop came much later, after years of living abroad, including time in Colombia, Mexico, and eventually Key West. By 2020, Via Volcán had officially launched, beginning with small-batch roasting in a community kitchen in Lorton and weekly appearances at a farmers market in Cleveland Park.

“Some of those same customers still come into the shop today,” McCausland said.

When the South West Street property became available during the pandemic, he saw an opportunity to create something permanent — but still approachable.

“It wasn’t meant to feel over-designed,” he said. “We wanted it to feel comfortable. Lived in.”

That welcoming atmosphere is carried largely by the people behind the counter.

“There’s a real personality to everyone here,” McCausland said.

Barista Indigo, whom he laughingly describes as “the people person,” has a way of making newcomers feel like regulars within minutes. Travis, the shop’s self-described “idea guy,” enjoys helping customers understand brewing methods and flavor profiles, often encouraging them to experiment with different beans and preparations.

And then there’s Christina — the steady hand keeping operations moving smoothly every day.

“She’s the one who makes sure everything gets done right,” McCausland said.

Family members also remain woven into nearly every aspect of the business. Janina helped shape the shop’s aesthetic and worked behind the counter in the early days. One daughter designed the logo. Another manages social media. Another serves as a consultant. Even Janina’s niece contributed architectural ideas for the space.

“It really became a family project,” McCausland said.

Today, he still travels to Panamá several times a year to oversee the farm and work alongside a longtime foreman who has been with the family for 17 years.

But despite the carefully cultivated beans and growing reputation, McCausland insists coffee itself was never the entire mission.

“Coffee gives people a reason to connect,” he said. “That’s what I care about most.”

And inside Via Volcán, it’s hard not to notice.

Customers settle into conversations that stretch well beyond a quick caffeine stop. Familiar faces greet one another across the room. Baristas remember names, orders, and stories.

The coffee may bring people through the door.

But it’s the sense of belonging that keeps them coming back.

Visit Via Volcán

110 S. West St.
Old Town Alexandria, VA 22314
(571) 431-7372

viavolcan.com

Hours
Monday–Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.