PJ’s Coffee Shares A Taste of New Orleans With Coffee 101 and Tasting On The Road

PJ's Coffee is a renowned and beloved brand that continuously prioritizes three essential values in its business approach: providing delicious coffee, promoting sustainable practices and cultivating a strong sense of community through southern hospitality. An integral part of the New Orleans coffee scene and beyond, we strive to give guests a unique and meaningful coffee experience, including Roastmaster Felton Jones’ own twist on cupping events.

What is Cupping?

Coffee cupping is a sacred ritual akin to wine tasting and a great way to build your palate while observing the vast amount of nuance coffee holds. However, you likely won’t find other brands that bring their roastmaster into town to educate guests on coffee quality as we do. PJ's Coffee locations across the country are welcoming Mr. Jones into their location so he can explain the history of the coffeehouse and conduct an educational cupping event for all attendees.

“I wanted to give an insight into what goes on behind the scenes in the coffee industry, the taste of New Orleans that we’re all about, and build a greater connection with the communities we serve,” said Mr. Jones. “By teaching them to be smarter coffee drinkers, they can hold us and others to a high standard.”

This sensory evaluation process is a globally standardized method used to assess the flavor, aroma and quality of coffee beans from different regions and roasting profiles. This ensures that a roast tastes as great as it can be and involves using a specialized cupping spoon, a set of cups and hot water to steep coffee grounds.

Cuppers evaluate the coffee based on a set of criteria — aroma, flavor, acidity, body, and aftertaste — to identify the unique characteristics of different coffee beans and roasting profiles. The flavor and aroma depend on many factors, including the region where the beans were grown, the altitude, the soil conditions, and the roasting profile used. By cupping different coffees, professionals can gain a deeper understanding of each one and create blends that highlight the best qualities of each bean.

PJ’s Coffee 101 and Tasting Experience

Since 1978, PJ's Coffee has been roasting small batches of 100% specialty Arabica coffee in the heart of The Big Easy. From our portfolio of direct trade coffees to New Orleans-inspired flavors like Southern Pecan and King Cake, Roastmaster Jones has meticulously crafted a portfolio of coffee blocks from the world-famous French Quarter.

A fresh cup of PJ's Coffee is more than just a brew. And while the Specialty Coffee Association states cuppings should be silent, Mr. Jones ensures his events are as interactive and entertaining as possible. This year is his first time on the road to present this unique activity outside New Orleans and educate on coffee and PJ’s superior roast techniques.

In addition to a presentation about coffee origins, guests can receive his advice, ask questions, sample different roasts and blends from PJ's Coffee, and go home with a new perspective and a surprise gift. It’s a phenomenal opportunity to learn more about the coffee you love from the man responsible for the great, small-batch taste and help guests discover their preferences to make their best cup of coffee.

“We’ve received great feedback from our Texas franchisees about the cupping events authentically connecting with our guests,” said Mr. Jones, who achieved roastmaster status in 2003. “Phyllis Jordan may have started PJ’s Coffee, but each franchisee represents her. We’re looking forward to going nationwide to help build meaningful experiences.”

Mr. Jones has visited developing areas in markets such as Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and McAllen, with plans to make more stops throughout the year.