The American who appears in the videos of the Ecuadorian artist’s coffee brand travels through Guayaquil to get to know the city and its gastronomy.
He arrived in Ecuador last Tuesday. He has already tried onions, ceviche, crabs, sausage broth and rice with stew. At every stop he has made, the public has recognized him, even without his uniform. The American Larry Pancake he is one of the policemen who appear in the promotional videos of the Ecuadorian coffee brand Rich Mild, by the Guayaquil artist Gerardo Mejia.
In January 2021, a video of him drinking coffee with his then-boss went viral on social media. And since then it has become the official image of the coffee that bears the name of one of the titles of the productions of the compatriot based in the United States.
His visit to the country is not only to get to know the national culture, but also to record part of new promotional videos for the brand, says Pancake, 46 years old.
“Gerardo also wanted me to come so he could get to know the culture of the country, the people, the food and the coffee, because on his return home we have been sharing (on networks) what Ecuador is like,” says Pancake, who works as police officer for 24 years.
With Gerardo Mejía as his host and translator —he speaks very little Spanish— he has toured some Guayaquil hollows. Llulán, Pepe 3, El Lechón are some typical Ecuadorian food establishments where he has tasted various dishes, but in which he has also discovered that he has local followers. With them he has taken photos, has made videos of greetings and has also received invitations to visit other tourist attractions in the country.
“In its tour de la jama, as we call him, we stopped at a KFC to make him feel at home, and he said: ‘This is not the same, it’s different,'” reveals Mejía about Pancake’s experience, who ate his traditional chicken but accompanied by rice and stew.
The interpreter of It sounds It also indicates that the new Rico Suave Coffee videos will be filmed entirely in Guayaquil. “He will be speaking and visiting traditional sites and will show, in the videos, products such as bananas, shrimp. We are going to be going out in places where you can already find coffee for sale. We have kept it in reserve to avoid crowds.
“I really liked the food, the weather, the people and the warmth of the people. I met a person who writes to me on Twitter and to whom I reply, it was very nice to meet him”, mentions the foreigner.
A friendship that grew in Kentucky
The relationship between the Ecuadorian and Pancake originated several years ago, in Kentucky, where they both reside. “He is sheriff where I live, but at the same time in the church where I preach (House of Grace) he used to come. He sings, he is an artist, and he came to play the praises of the church. And there we became buddies and we have maintained friendship all this time, ”Mejía details.
“The first commercial that came out was lucky; people identified so quickly with that idea that that was the track we had to follow. We realized the connection they had with the policeman, and from then on he has become the image. In the first video he appears with his boss, he is the tough one there, and we convinced him to appear and also give us permission. They always check it before Larry does any activity where he appears in uniform,” he says.
Rico Suave Coffee
The product came out in 2021 on the market. It is a collaboration with national farmers, harvesting beans in the valleys of the Andes, in the rolling hills of Loja and in the coastal province of El Oro. These farmers work with an organic coffee bean of the 100% Arabica variety, Mejía mentioned in a previous interview with this newspaper.
According to Mejía, by the end of this year they plan to present Rico Suave de Galapagos and another organic line. The brand is already available in different supermarkets. (E)
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