About

Roasting coffee in the Bywater of New Orleans since 1925.

In 1925, bank teller Henry Kepler roasted his first batch of coffee beans in the Bywater of New Orleans.

He went door-to-door down Franklin Avenue, then just a dirt road, asking neighbors to “Try my coffee.”

And so Try-Me Coffee was born.

100 years later, Try-Me Coffee still roasts in our original location at 1014 France Street, ingrained in the same community Henry introduced our coffee to a century ago.

A coffee roaster built by and for the community.

Knocking on doors is how we started—and how we’ve grown.

35 years ago, our master roaster Jerico knocked on our door looking for a job. At just 19 years old, he joined our team.

Today, he leads it as both master roaster and manager. He lives in the same community where we were founded.

The people behind your coffee aren’t just roasters. They’re neighbors and stewards of a craft 100 years in the making.

At Try-Me Coffee, we believe those connections are what make all the difference in every cup.

SHOP COFFEE

What Sets Try-Me Coffee Apart

  • Hand-Roasted for 100 Years

    Our roasting tradition has been passed down by generations of master roasters who know our machines and process by sight, sound, and feel—a blend of skill and craftsmanship.

  • New Orleans Roots

    Try-Me Coffee has a rich history intertwined with the birth of coffee culture in New Orleans. We've grown with our community, offering a journey from classic coffee and chicory to diverse single origin selections.

  • Community Craftsmanship

    Roasting coffee is an art, and we do it by hand. Our roasting staff, each with 30+ years of experience at Try-Me Coffee, live and work in the same neighborhood where Try-Me Coffee was founded.
BROWSE

The Try-Me Coffee Experience.

At Try-Me Coffee, your beans are never sitting on a shelf gathering dust. Every bag is hand-roasted to order, whether you’re a neighbor down the block or a a national restaurant group.

Ordering is simple, though we do things a little differently. If you are new to Try-Me Coffee, we invite you to begin with our First-Time Ordering Guide.

We are proud to guide our community through the evolving landscape of coffee.

While we will always offer traditional favorites such as our iconic New Orleans coffee and chicory, we have also led the way in providing distinctive single-origin and flavored coffees.

We serve individuals through our online retail shop and offer white-glove roasting and delivery services to our wholesale clients.

VIEW WHOLESALE SERVICES

Try-Me Coffee Now

Local, Independent, and Rooted in the Community
Try-Me Coffee is a fourth-generation business, passed down through members of the New Orleans community.

Today, Lauren “Mermaid” McCabe and Abby King carry that legacy forward, keeping Try-Me Coffee independent and local.

They took the reins from Bob Lutz and his mother, Carol Stogner, who dedicated their lives to the business. The Lutz family wanted to pass Try-Me along to a family deeply rooted in the Bywater—someone who would honor its tradition and craftsmanship.

Shaped by our Community
Try-Me Coffee has always been shaped by the people behind it. Jerico and Mr. Willie, each with over 30 years at Try-Me Coffee, are the heart of our production and roasting team, ensuring every bean is roasted to perfection.

Jerico, who started working here at 19, now serves as manager and master roaster. He still lives in the neighborhood, carrying on the tradition from where it all began.