- May 5, 2024
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Just as people are seeking fresh fruits, vegetables and even beer these days, there’s also a growing desire for a fresher cup of coffee.
“It’s the third wave,” said Carl Dupper, owner of a new business in Ormond Beach called Steel Oak Coffee.
“I’ve been looking for fresh roasted coffee.”
PETR BOJDA, visitor from Czech Republic
Dupper and his wife, Michele, along with children C.J. and Lily, started selling their fresh roasted coffee at the Ormond Beach Farmer’s Market, located at City Hall, on March 23. They also plan to be at the Palm Coast Farmer’s Market on a regular basis.
Dupper explained that the first wave was more than 100 years ago, when people ground their own coffee from beans and enjoying it was often a social occasion. The second wave was the 20th century when mass merchandisers took over, and ground coffee became available in stores.
Now, in the third wave, people are discovering fresh roasted again. There are a couple of brewers in other parts of Volusia County, evidence that it’s catching on here as well, but it’s still largely unknown.
“We’ve had a lot of good conversations,” Dupper said at the market. “There’s not a lot of awareness that coffee comes from all over the world and tastes different.”
The Duppers lived in the Ormond Beach area from 2001 to 2009, and returned last year after living in Raleigh, North Carolina, where they discovered coffee by artisan roasters.
Unable to find coffee that met their standards in this area, they decided to start making their own, buying a small roaster and giving samples to friends and family. As the asked for more, the Duppers started to realize the potential for a business.
Late last year, they upgraded to a larger roaster and began distribution efforts.
At the market, the Duppers were selling roasted beans and also grinding beans for those without a grinder at home. They were selling coffee from Columbia, Costa Rica and Ethiopia, and future coffees will depend on where crops are coming in around the world.
Enjoying coffee is more of a social experience in other parts of the world. One customer at the Farmer’s Market who was happy to see them was Petr Bojda, from the Czech Republic, currently working at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.
“It’s wonderful to find it,” he said. “I’ve been looking for fresh roasted coffee.”
The business is a part-time job for Dupper, who is a professional engineer, as well as for Michelle, a stay-at-home mom for their kids who are home-schooled.
They said the kids were learning at the Farmer’s Market, including customer service and the value of money.
“And patience,” laughed Carl.
The “Steel Oak” name is illustrated in their logo with a gear surrounding the Fairchild Oak. Dupper said the Fairchild Oak is a strong part of the community, which is what they want for their company. The gear shows the importance of business.
“That’s what we want to be,” he said. “Like the Fairchild Oak, rooted in the community.”
Visit steeloakcoffee.com.
