A Coffee Epiphany

The story behind Bean’s Coffee is one of passion and love of coffee. My journey began during a vacation to Alaska with Phyllis, my wife, Phillip, my son, and Annie, my daughter. By chance, Phyllis and I were treated to a fantastic cup of coffee in a small local coffee shop in Ketchikan. It was unlike anything I’d ever had. The taste, the aroma, the whole experience was one to savor. I loved the coffee and wanted to know how to get more! Up to that time, I thought store bought coffee was the ultimate. Drinking that cup of coffee was an epiphany.

Lucky for me, the barista was also the shop owner. He explained that he bought the best beans he could find then roasted them himself to their peak flavor. Since he had his own roaster, he only roasted enough coffee to satisfy his needs for the next few days. That way, he always had fresh coffee for his customers. I thought he was on to something!

When I returned from Alaska, I began researching coffee roasting. My first foray into the roasting arts took place in our home kitchen. I roasted some Tanzanian Peaberry and was hooked. Little did I know, though, that the roasting smoke would permeate our house and linger for over a week! Afterward, I purchased a small roaster and moved my roasting operation to my garage (at Phyllis’ insistence!).

As I developed my roasting technique, I began to share my coffees with my family and friends using them as my sample tasters. As with my first taste, they loved it. Their excitement was contagious and led to the realization that I should bring my passion for coffee to the small farmers’ markets in the New Orleans area.

With Phyllis and Annie as partners, we started Bean’s Coffee Company in August 2007 to do just that. Our mission is to bring fresh roasted coffee at a fair price to the people of New Orleans and the Internet. You can buy our coffee here on our website or at one of the local markets in which we participate. Stop by for a free sample of our coffee and a chat. See you there!

Mike DalDegan