Billy LaGrange wasn’t always much of a coffee drinker. Before he and his wife, Shannon, founded French Settlement Roasting Co. in 2022, he found coffee too bitter to enjoy without cream and sugar. As Business Report writes in its latest issue, that changed after a co-worker who roasted his own beans introduced LaGrange to coffee that was unusually smooth and drinkable on its own.
Already experienced with making wine, beer and moonshine, LaGrange decided to try roasting coffee beans at home. The hobby soon became a side hustle, with the couple selling bags of beans and ground coffee at farmers markets in Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes. As demand grew, so did the business.
Today, French Settlement Roasting Co. coffee is sold in about 20 stores in Ascension and Livingston parishes and is served through the couple’s Espresso Geaux coffee truck.
Read the full story from the latest issue of Business Report.
