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A sign reading DRINK COMMUNITY COFFEE, FINER FRESHER FLAVOR on an old building, shown in sepia tone.

Our Story

Creating Community Over Coffee for 107 Years

In 1919, Henry Norman “Cap” Saurage made two important discoveries.

The first was an especially great-tasting blend and roast of coffee, prepared according to his own secret recipe. Cap happily served complimentary cups of the special blend in his Baton Rouge grocery store, as a little South Louisiana “lagniappe” for his patrons.

The second discovery was what his coffee did for the people of Baton Rouge.

Cap noticed something simple but powerful: Patrons were stopping to talk and connect over his coffee. Those meaningful moments, each centered around a cup of coffee, helped neighbors become friends and a town become a community.

Seeing the good he could do, Cap soon started a full-time coffee business. He named it “Community” out of appreciation for his friends and customers, and the community they formed over his special blend.

We’ve been connecting people ever since, taking Cap’s local coffee company nationwide in the process. But for all that’s changed since 1919, there were a few things worth holding on to:

The Saurage family still passionately makes great-tasting coffee that’s meant to be shared.

We’re still based in Baton Rouge, because we’ll always remember where we came from.

And we still carry on Cap’s purpose of creating community over coffee.

A woman and schoolchildren pose with a large Community Cash for Schools check, made out to Saint John Interparochial.

Community Is Who We Are

It’s who we’ve always been since 1919, with five generations of family stewards upholding our purpose. We give back for the common good, bring people together in support of community heroes, and personally hand out coffee at local events. Community is and will always be more than just a name.

See Community in Action
Fourth-generation Community Coffee owner Matt Saurage and third-generation owner Norman Saurage the Third share a smile while testing coffees around a table.

Family Is Why We Care

“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 personally lives our values, preserves our traditions, and cups our coffee every week to ensure great taste.

Meet the Family
Fourth-generation Community Coffee owner Matt Saurage and another man examine a coffee plant.

Great Coffee Is What We Do

Our coffee is meant to be shared. We passionately craft each 100% Arabica blend with over a century of experience, because every cup is a chance to connect. With certified Coffee Graders on staff and a tradition of innovation, we’re committed to making great-tasting coffee for generations to come.

Explore Our Quality

A Story Over 100 Years in the Making

Explore the timeline below ↓

April 1, 1919

Community Coffee's Founding

“Cap” Saurage created Community Coffee and named it for the friends and patrons who connected over his special blend. He served complimentary cups in his Baton Rouge grocery store before moving fully into coffee.
March 1, 1924

Full-Time Coffee Business

With love of his coffee growing locally, Cap eased out of the grocery business and devoted himself entirely to Community Coffee. He even converted the horse barn in his backyard into a coffee-grinding mill.
1934

Expansion in South Louisiana

Cap’s oldest son, second-generation owner “HN” Saurage, took the family business westward. At just 21 years old, HN and his wife Alma Lee moved to Lake Charles to establish a foothold for Community Coffee outside of Baton Rouge.
1941

Becoming a Roaster

Instead of using roasted beans from a supplier, HN decided the company should roast its own coffee. This would ensure every bag met our high standards. Cap and HN bought their first roaster, the Jabez Burns “Jubilee” model.
1946

First Roasting Plant & Mail Orders

The company’s first modern roasting plant opened in Baton Rouge, fueling our continued growth across Louisiana. We also began mailing coffee to customers outside Louisiana who wanted a taste of home.
1952

Community® Premium Program

We began printing coupons on coffee packs, which customers could redeem for free housewares from our Premium Catalog and at stores. The Premium Program was our way of thanking loyal customers.
1957

Commercials by Jim Henson

Years before rising to fame with “The Muppets,” Jim Henson produced a series of TV ads for Community Coffee. The commercials featured lighthearted, slapstick antics that stood out in the age of hard-selling ads.
1970

Port Allen Roasting Facility Opens

We opened a new coffee-roasting plant in Port Allen, just across the river from Baton Rouge. This upgraded facility had modern technology that helped us support growing demand in Louisiana and beyond.
1980

Vacuum-Sealed Coffee Innovation

Under third-generation owner H. Norman Saurage III, we became the first company to successfully introduce vacuum-sealed bags in North America. The “Firm Pack” allowed us to share fresh coffee with more families than ever before.
1980

The Community Coffee Place

To evolve our Premium Program, each Premium Center converted into a retail outlet called the Community Coffee Place. These bright, colorful stores offered whole bean coffee, brewing demonstrations, housewares, and much more.
1988

Supporting Education

We launched the Be True To Your School program, encouraging communities to submit proofs of purchase to their school to be redeemed for cash. Now called the Community Cash for Schools® program, it still brings people together for a good cause today.
1995

CC’s Gourmet Coffee House

The first CC’s Gourmet Coffee House opened in New Orleans, bringing Community Coffee into the specialty coffeehouse setting. While the two brands are now independent companies, both are still operated by the Saurage family.
2005

Fourth-Generation Leadership

Matt Saurage became President and CEO of Community Coffee, ushering in the fourth generation of family stewardship. He now serves as Chairman of the Board, and his signature still appears on every bag and box of our coffee.
2019

Celebrating 100 Years

A century after our founding, Cap’s purpose of creating community over coffee was alive and stronger than ever. It was an honor to celebrate our 100th anniversary with so many of the hard-working people who made it all possible.
Present Day

A Century of Stories

There’s so much more to our story that we'd love to share with you. To hear it from those who lived it, check out “The Community Coffee Story, Third Edition,” written by Norman Saurage III and Matt Saurage.
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