French Settlement Roasting Co. did not begin with a polished business plan, a warehouse, or a commercial roaster. It began with a popcorn machine, a man who did not even like coffee, and a simple question that quietly changed everything. What if good coffee could be better?
Founded in 2022, French Settlement Roasting Co. grew not from trends or shortcuts, but from curiosity, persistence, and a deep respect for craft. What started as a personal experiment has since become one of Livingston Parish’s most recognizable local brands, culminating in a milestone few businesses ever reach.
Before earning Small Business of the Year in 2026, French Settlement Roasting Co. had already made history.
In 2024, the company received an official government declaration naming it the official coffee of Livingston Parish, signed by Parish President Randy Delatte. While brands across the country are often labeled the official coffee or soda of stadiums, organizations, or private entities, this declaration was different.
It was the first known governmentlevel declaration designating an official coffee for a specific area, anywhere.
“They’ve got official coffees of football teams and stadiums, but those aren’t real declarations,” owner Billy explained. “This was an actual declaration by a parish government. As far as we can find, it’s never happened before.”
The moment was historic, even if the full weight of it was not immediately realized.
“We didn’t even know what we had at the time,” Billy said. “It wasn’t until later that we started looking and realized there really wasn’t anything else like it.”
That recognition did not come from aggressive marketing or rapid expansion. It came from consistency, quality, and a business built one batch at a time.
“I didn’t research coffee at first,” Billy said. “I didn’t watch YouTube videos. I didn’t read books. I just started doing it.”
The first roaster he used was not designed for coffee at all. It was a small popcorn machine ordered online, capable of roasting only a few ounces at a time with little control over heat or airflow. Each batch took nearly a week to produce, and consistency was difficult to achieve.
Still, people noticed.
What began with one coworker asking to try a bag quickly grew into several, then dozens. Word spread organically long before branding or marketing ever entered the picture. As demand increased, so did the equipment.
The upgrades came in stages. A $1,200 home roaster allowed temperature control and airflow adjustments. Larger machines followed, capable of roasting pounds instead of ounces. Each upgrade represented a leap of faith, often costing more than Billy ever imagined spending on coffee.
“I never thought I’d put this much money into it,” he said. “But every time I thought I’d reached my limit, we outgrew it.”
Today, French Settlement Roasting Co. operates with professional roasting equipment capable of handling up to 65 pounds per batch, along with destoning machines, cooling systems, grinders, and packaging lines. Every step of the process is handled in house, from roasting and grinding to bagging, labeling, and distribution.
Quality has always been nonnegotiable.
French Settlement Roasting Co. sources beans from more than 21 countries and offers 19 singleorigin coffees alongside a rotating selection of blends. Every bean is organic, specialty grade, and sourced from farms that follow organic practices.
“If a farm doesn’t use organic practices, the conversation ends,” Billy said.
Even decaffeinated coffee follows the same standards. Instead of chemical decaffeination methods, the company uses the Swiss Water Process, which removes caffeine using only water and filtration, preserving flavor without additives.
Roasting is intentionally paced. Freshly roasted coffee is not sold immediately. Each batch rests for several days to allow gases to release and flavors to stabilize.
“I won’t sell coffee roasted yesterday,” Billy said. “It tastes wrong. You need time for it to breathe.”
Among the company’s most recognizable blends is Bloody Angola, a name that immediately sparks conversation. The blend was created in connection with Jim Chapman’s Bloody Angola podcast, which focuses on Louisiana crime stories and history.
French Settlement Roasting Co. was featured on Local Leaders, the podcast hosted by Chapman, and the collaboration naturally led to the creation of the blend.
The name reflects both the podcast’s title and the bold character of the coffee itself, which includes Colombian beans and is strong without being harsh. Over time, Bloody Angola became one of the company’s bestknown offerings, helping introduce new customers to the brand.
Other core blends include Jet Fuel, designed to hold up well in espressobased drinks, and Gumbo, a rotating blend made from surplus batches that is never the same twice.
“Gumbo changes every time,” Billy said. “Just like real gumbo.”
Singleorigin offerings include beans from regions such as Peru, Brazil, Honduras, Ethiopia, Bali, and Timor. Ethiopian beans are lightly roasted to bring out floral and blueberry notes, while darker roasts emphasize caramel and chocolate flavors that appeal to local tastes.
Despite its growth, French Settlement Roasting Co. has remained intentionally hands on. Billy and his wife both maintain fulltime jobs, waking early to roast, bag, and prepare orders before heading to work.
Distribution is handled personally. Their coffee is stocked in approximately 15 stores and several restaurants across Livingston and Ascension parishes, including local markets, cafes, and select campus locations. The company also produces cold brew concentrate in gallon quantities for gyms and cafes, often used as a base for proteininfused drinks.
Even as global tariffs, shipping costs, and utilities have increased, French Settlement Roasting Co. has kept pricing steady since its founding, choosing to absorb the increases rather than pass them on to customers.
“We can’t sell a $22 bag of coffee here,” Billy said. “That’s not realistic for South Louisiana.”
In 2026, the company was named Small Business of the Year, a recognition that followed years of quiet growth, community involvement, and steady dedication to craft.
Still, awards have never been the driving force.
The company regularly supports schools, nonprofits, fundraisers, and community events through donations, wholesale partnerships, and handson involvement. One of their most meaningful initiatives involved working with special education students at French Settlement High School, teaching them business skills through coffee sales and order fulfillment.
“That was one of the most fun things we’ve done,” Billy said. “It mattered.”
French Settlement Roasting Co. is now preparing to open its first brickandmortar cafe, marking a new chapter in the business’s evolution. While details are still unfolding, the cafe represents a natural extension of what the company has always been about.
For Billy, the advice to anyone considering a similar path is simple.
“At some point, you just have to pull the trigger,” he said. “Decide, and don’t look back.”
From a popcorn machine to parish history, French Settlement Roasting Co. stands as proof that when quality comes first, growth follows, one batch at a time.
