Catch up with Local Coffee Roaster, Kevin Pedeaux, owner of Coast Roast Coffee in New Orleans
Image from Coast Roast Coffee's Instagram Page
We New Orleanian’s may love our coffee as much as our cocktails. So, when you’re in New Orleans, we recommended make it a ‘must stop’ to see our friend - Coast Roast Coffee owner, Kevin Pedeaux. What started as an interest in the worldly flavors in high school and college, led to opening his own shop. Now, he has locations in in the popular St. Roch Market (2381 St. Claude Avenue) and on Magazine Street (3618 Magazine Street) in New Orleans.
Q: So, Kevin, why coffee? Tell us how you got started.
A: I was first introduced to specialty single origin coffee while I was selling King Cakes for Randazzo’s Bakery, still in high school and college. We would sell them to all of the PJ’s coffee locations. Each location I would visit, I’d get a different coffee. They were from all over the world - different countries with all different tastes. I was fascinated that coffee could be more than just your ‘average cup of coffee.’
My grandmother was living in Long Beach, MS, after losing her house in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. One time while visiting her, I met Shawn Montella, who was roasting coffee in his shop in Long Beach, MS, called Bankhouse Coffee. We drummed up a friendship and started roasted together. Through trial and error, we self-taught ourselves how to roast using antique equipment – looking over historical roasting profiles and blending and tasting notes. It certainly helped with had the guidance of another professional, coffee roaster Bruce Walle, whose family has been in the coffee business in New Orleans for several generations.
He was the one who introduced me to the green (raw) coffee importers in New Orleans, and from there I learned how to cup coffees and to experiment with which coffees to roast and blend. It’s been over 12 years of roasting, blending, learning and growing my business.
What makes Coast Roast Coffee special is the use of our antique coffee roasters. They just give the cup character that is unlike anything else. It’s a simple old school way of roasting coffee.
Q: For our curious readers our there, what’s your go to drink and where?
A: As far as my drink of choice, it all depends on the time of day. So, it goes from coffee to iced tea and to red wine. I absolutely enjoy a cocktail, but my go to is a nice glass of wine. There’s something so organic and natural about it, despite the process it takes to get it to the point of drinking. I guess it’s like coffee in a way. So, a nice wine bar like St. Germaine on St. Claude is a great place my wife, Ashley, and I go whenever we have a babysitter for our two sons.
Q: Where can we find you on an afternoon off?
A: I ether want to bar hop and catch up with friends on a Friday afternoon. Or, if I can break away for an afternoon with my camera and be creative, I always enjoy photography.
Q: Where are you heading for Friday night date night?
A: Since we have kids, we don’t get the evenings out as often as we’d like. So, when we do get out, we do like to hit up a place we know is going to be fantastic every time like Bistro Daisy and Lilette.