A Family Commitment Since 1919
“Cap” Saurage founded Community Coffee in 1919, and his family still stewards the business over 100 years later. That’s five
generations with one purpose: to create community over coffee.
The Saurage family preserves our values, upholds our traditions, and ensures our future always honors our past. And because Community Coffee is meant to be shared, they personally taste it every week. That’s our family’s commitment to yours, for the next 100 years and beyond.
1ST GENERATION
Henry Norman “Cap” Saurage
Cap originally owned a grocery store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he served complimentary coffee made with his own secret blend. He noticed how patrons stopped to talk over his coffee, and how those small moments of connection made his community stronger.
Turning his passion into his livelihood, Cap founded Community Coffee in 1919 and named it in honor of his friends and customers.
2ND GENERATION
H. Norman “HN” Saurage, Jr.
Known to us as “The Builder of the Business,” HN evolved his father’s passion for coffee into a larger and more modern company. He started by personally expanding Community Coffee into western Louisiana at just 21 years old. As his position grew, he made sure to invest in his employees with improved facilities and infrastructure.
Above all, HN believed that honest work and high-quality coffee would lead to success.
3RD GENERATION
H. Norman III & Donna Saurage
The late Norman Saurage is remembered fondly as “The Steward of the Business.” During his six decades with the company, he encouraged innovation at every level and ensured that Community Coffee would remain a family business for future generations.
Norman’s devoted wife Donna is still involved in the company and is the chair of our board’s Citizenship Committee, which focuses on giving back to communities.
4TH GENERATION
Matt Saurage
Since 2012, Matt Saurage has served as Chairman of the Board for Community Coffee. But even before that, Matt modernized our business in many ways. He solidified partnerships with coffee farmers, helped create specialty and ready-to-drink coffees, and positioned us as a leader and advocate in global coffee organizations.
Matt’s signature is on every bag of Community Coffee, a promise of continued family stewardship from our family to yours.
5TH GENERATION
Stewarding Community
Today there are several fifth-generation Saurage employees, working side by side with the people who make Community Coffee thrive. While carrying on their family’s legacy of company involvement, they’re also helping us stay on the cutting edge of an industry changing faster than ever.
Though their roles may change over time, their purpose will always be Cap’s purpose — creating community over coffee, for five generations and counting.