In 2009, baristas Tommy LeBlanc and Greg Rodrigue joined with neighbors to revive Magazine Perks, the beloved and uniquely spirited gathering place at Magazine and Napoleon. Hey! Cafe was created. Dedicated to to community, hospitality, quality, and environmental responsibility; the team expanded into roasting to have greater control over quality and sourcing of their product. They have since built closer relationships with importers and producers. In 2018, HEY Coffee co. opened as a new head of production on the Lafitte Greenway in Midcity New Orleans, LA corridor with a larger scale roaster, a Diedrich IR-12.

Their long running partnerships with both high end coffee importers and their direct relationships with farms in Guatemala and Honduras have enabled the ability to roast some of the finest coffee that the world has to offer. Their Diedrich IR-12 is a straightforwardly designed machine that uses innovative and efficient infrared technology to heat the roasting drum. This allows for full development, consistent results and minimal distortion of each roasted coffee. The Diedrich IR-12 is an industry standard that has been used to roast world class coffee for years. Their roasting philosophy is to first source high performing, unique and traceable coffees and roast each coffee to develop as much sweetness, complexity and approachability as possible.

Hey Coffee Co. is operating and roasting out of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ethiopia-Guji Uraga