Pievy Polyte, an artist and founder of the Peak Macaya Co-op Haitian coffee cooperative, opened a retail store and art gallery at 46 Pearl Street in Essex Junction in early December, selling his art plus bagged coffee and cocoa from Haiti. The shop also offers free beverage tastings among his paintings, which Seven Days described in 2024 as “color-drenched … landscapes and narrative scenes depicting his native land.”
Polyte, 39, moved to Vermont from Haiti in 2016 following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew. He said his goal is to help his community rebuild and thrive by importing and selling Blue Mountain coffee and cocoa beans grown in the same region. Proceeds from the shop support schools, nutrition education and medical services in Polyte’s home region of Peak Makaya.
Coffee from Haiti is known for its low acidity; minimal bitterness; and rich, fruity flavor, Polyte said. “Where we grow the coffee, there are so many fruit and nut trees,” he explained, listing mango, pineapple and orange.
Earthback Coffee Roasters in South Burlington currently roasts the coffee beans, but Polyte hopes soon to do his own roasting and offer workshops on roasting green beans at home.
Learn more at peakmacayaco-op.com.
This article appears in January 7 • 2026.
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