Cura Coffee
Cura Coffee works directly with Cura Smiles to fulfill the organizations’ mission of
expanding access to sustainable dental care.
In 2003, Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick embarked on his first mission trip to Nicaragua to work at a dental clinic. He spent time in a remote town outside the city of Managua. While volunteering at the dental clinic, he saw countless children who had been living with decayed and infected teeth. Thomas met with the local families, learned about their backgrounds and experiences and ended up falling in love with this small community in Nicaragua. For ten years, he returned to Nicaragua to offer dental care, and specifically worked with a coffee-growing community in Boaco. It was there that the idea for Cura Coffee was born.
If Thomas could both support local coffee farmers and provide dental care, then even more good could be done. For several years, Cura Coffee worked with Nicaraguan coffee farmers and Coffee and Tea Collective to intentionally source and roast coffee through small lot producers, ensuring ethical coffee sourcing practices and paying premium prices to support the coffee growing communities. Profits from the coffee were utilized to continue expanding sustainable dental care to underserved communities.
Today, the vision continues. Now partnering with female-run, organic, fair-trade coffee producers in Mexico, Coffee and Tea Collective continues to roast and produce Cura Coffee, which in turn supports sustainable dental care here in San Diego.
Cura Coffee has supported dental care efforts at Cura Smiles Dental Clinic in the City Heights community of San Diego, CA. In 2025, Cura Smiles dental clinic served 305 individuals in need, and performed 1,870 dental procedures totaling $513,000- all free of charge.
Cura Coffee works directly with its non-profit partner, Cura Smiles, to fulfill its mission of expanding sustainable dental care here in San Diego.
Coffee profits are invested in our mission, supporting sustainable dental care in underserved communities.
Cura Coffee has supported dental care efforts in Nicaragua and is currently supporting the Cura Smiles clinic in San Diego.