Community Coffee Explained

Community Coffee
Founder:Norman "Cap" Saurage
Founded:Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Type:Private
Industry:Coffee roasting

Community Coffee is a coffee roaster and distributor based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.[1] As of 2005, it was the largest family-owned coffee brand in the United States, controlling 52% of the market in South Louisiana and 72% in Baton Rouge, and employing 850 people.[2] The company has distribution throughout markets in the Southeastern United States.[3] [4] [5]

Community Coffee originated in 1919 when company founder Norman "Cap" Saurage began experimenting with coffee blends at his two grocery stores in downtown Baton Rouge. Demand for the coffee increased to the extent that by 1923, Saurage moved his coffee production to a converted barn, and in 1924, left his grocery business to focus on coffee.[6]

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jim Henson made a series of commercials for Community starring early Muppets characters Wilkins and Wontkins. These were remakes of commercials originally produced for the Wilkins coffee company.[7] The company now imports coffee beans from Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico through ports in New Orleans and Houston.[8] Since 1988, it has run a program in which UPC labels from its products can be redeemed for donations to Louisiana schools.[9] In 2002 Community entered into a deal with the Abahuzamugambi farming cooperative in Rwanda, facilitated by the PEARL agricultural program, to purchase Maraba coffee. This was the first direct contract between an African farming cooperative and American coffee roaster.[10]

In 1995, Community Coffee began opening a chain of retail coffeehouses throughout Louisiana. Community also launched stores in Texas and Alabama, however, ventures in neighboring states failed due to the entrenchment of Starbucks and local brands. In 2013, Community spun off its coffee house business into a separate company named CC's Coffee House in order to facilitate out-of-state expansion. CC's remains under the ownership of the Saurage family.[11]

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.communitycoffee.com/AboutUs.aspx Community Coffee - About Us
  2. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2005-10-11-community-coffee-usat_x.htm USATODAY.com - Community Coffee perks up to challenge
  3. http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2010/04/birminghams_cup_runneth_over_a.html Birmingham's cup runneth over as Community Coffee arrives to take on Red Diamond, Royal Cup | AL.com
  4. http://theadvocate.com/news/business/4741150-123/community-coffee-entering-new-markets Community Coffee entering new markets | Business | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA
  5. http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2010/05/17/daily34.html Louisiana's Community Coffee to expand into Birmingham market - Birmingham Business Journal
  6. http://theadvocate.com/features/people/8358202-123/community-coffees-first-mill-put Community Coffee’s first mill put on display | People | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA
  7. Web site: 3/13-14/1969 – 'Shoot Community Coffee.' . Henson.com . 13 July 2023.
  8. http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/charles-graffeo-sr-wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee/ Charles Graffeo, Sr.: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee - Inbound Logistics
  9. http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2013/08/15/community-looking-to-expand-its-coffee-brand/ Community looking to expand its coffee brand | New Orleans CityBusiness
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20040626185927/http://businessreport.com/pub/21_9/cover/3042-1.html Cup of Good Hope
  11. http://www.businessreport.com/article/20130412/BUSINESSREPORT0112/130419907 Community spins off CC's to facilitate out-of-state expansion – On March 1, 2016 Southwest Airlines began serving community coffee to their customers on flights.