NEW ORLEANS ― Many know Mojo Coffee House on 1500 Magazine St. and 4700 Freret St., but they may not know that the coffee experts behind the brand have recently expanded to become Mojo Coffee Roasters, one of the few coffee companies in town to roast their own beans.
Mojo began roasting in mid-2015, and their initial offerings have received rave reviews. Two of Mojo’s first coffees: Ethiopia Natural Hambela and Kenya Othaya Peaberry were rated the high-scores of 93 and 94 points by Coffee Review, The World’s Leading Coffee Guide.
The crew at Mojo Coffee Roasters said they work hard to find interesting coffees and make their profiles unique. They stress quality by roasting in true small batch form, only six to eight pounds at a time so they can carefully sift through the beans, ensuring that every bag they roast meets strict quality standards.
“It’s fun to be involved from the beginning of the process to the final drink,” said Roastmaster, Matt Cronin. “Selecting our own coffee rather than relying on other roasters has been rewarding because we get the opportunity to design a coffee program from scratch.”
Mojo’s Hambela Natural, a single estate Ethiopian coffee with a flavor profile consisting of a bing cherry acidity, blackberry streusel and sweet blood orange marmalade, was first rated 93 points by Coffee Review in early 2016. Most recently, their Kenya Othaya Peaberry earned 94 points.
“Ratings certainly aren’t as important to me as knowing that people out there are actually enjoying the coffee, but they can be a great indicator that we are heading in the right direction,” said Cronin. “I will say, though, pushing for higher and higher marks definitely adds an extra layer of motivation.”
According to Cronin, the coffee community in New Orleans has seen a tremendous amount of growth in recent years. “We’re just happy to be a part of the growing coffee scene here,” he said. Mojo Coffee House stays on top of their coffee game in terms of keeping up with quality standards and the latest trends in coffee, but they aim to maintain their funky NOLA neighborhood vibe. That means making Mojo a place where anyone in the community feels welcome, and encouraging their staff to be themselves as much as possible.
“Consumers in New Orleans have become much savvier as a result of having more options for finding high quality coffee in the city, and people are increasingly interested in the improvements happening locally,” said Cronin. “It doesn’t feel like we are just screaming into a void anymore.”
Cronin also does the “green buying,” working with coffee traders who connect farmers to roasters to find the best green coffee. After selecting the coffee, he develops a roast profile and then figures out the best way to brew it. He also works as a head barista and manager at the Magazine Street shop.
“It feels rewarding when you give someone a cup to know how much went into it,” said Cronin.
All of Mojo’s roasting is done by roaster Cronin and Mojo Coffee House and Mojo Coffee Roaster’s owner Demian Estevez in a facility in the Black Pearl neighborhood, a subdistrict of the Uptown/ Carrollton area.
Mojo is furthering its game by attending the SCAA’s (Specialty Coffee Association of America) upcoming expo in Atlanta in April. They were invited to pull Mojo coffee on two machines including the world barista championship espresso machine at the expo this year.
Mojo Coffee Roasters single origin coffees are roasted in New Orleans, and are now available for purchase in both Mojo Coffee House shops and online.
