River Road Coffees was founded in 1998 by John Melancon, who brought over 30 years of coffee industry experience to create an unusually good specialty coffee blend unparalleled in quality and taste. The company's founding story traces back to John's parents, Stanislaus and Marie Melancon (known as "Mam Laus"), who began every day with piping hot coffee and shared their homemade brew with family and friends. Recognizing the positive energy their coffee created, they started their own country coffee shop and named it River Road Coffees.
Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, River Road Coffees is a family-operated business now led by second-generation owner Ian Melancon, John's son. Ian developed his specialized roasting methods under the tutelage of his father and local coffee shop owner Deborah Sowers, combining his natural coffee genetics with exceptional culinary skills. His unique approach led to the development of their signature Baton Rouge blend, named after their hometown.
The company specializes in selecting, blending, roasting, packaging, and distributing high-quality Arabica coffee beans while maintaining Louisiana's authentic coffee traditions. Their roasting process involves careful bean selection from various regions, working with experts to ensure consistency, and meticulous roasting monitoring for perfect color and flavor development. They perform weekly in-house cuppings every Friday to ensure quality, taste, and aroma standards.
River Road Coffees offers signature roasts including French, Creole, Acadian, Decaf, C'est Bon (Organic), Decafeine (Organic), Orleans Supreme (coffee & chicory), and Roastmaster Select offerings, plus K-Cup options. The company serves both business and home customers through office coffee delivery service and retail distribution throughout Louisiana, with their products available online and at local grocery stores.
As an active member of the Roaster's Guild and Specialty Coffee Association, Ian continues building industry knowledge and consulting with world-class roasters to keep River Road Coffees on the leading edge of specialty coffee production. The company maintains specialized freshness valve bags and the industry's shortest shelf time to ensure optimal coffee experiences for their clients and friends throughout the region.