As the Fall chill sets in and Winter draws near, we fill our mugs with the best coffee we can sip. One local roaster, chef turned coffee epicurean, is bringing the world’s best beans to Fredericksburg.
For Pete Dionne, owner of Fredericksburg Coffee Co., it all begins with the beans. On a map on his wall, markers point to small family-owned farms around the world where Dionne pays a premium to acquire the best beans; beans almost entirely hand-picked while red on the plant.
From there, Dionne goes the extra mile to treat the beans well, never using chemicals on them and packaging them in foil lined bags with a one-way valve to ensure flavor preservation.
“Everything we do is just a little bit elevated, so that’s what sets me apart from other people," Dionne said. This process keeps Fredericksburg Company Co. as an exclusive artisan roaster, a designation Dionne works to maintain.
“There is a rating system on coffee,” Dionne described. “Because I’m an artisan roaster I can only buy anything rated above 80.” Coffees rated below 80 are used by commodity roasters who purchase lower quality beans on a larger scale.
The Perfect Roast
While working as a chef in Michigan, Pete met his wife. The two married and immediately opened their own restaurant, an experience Dionne described as “intense.”
The couple then spent time traveling, and Dionne practiced roasting coffee as a hobby. These travels consistently brought them back to Texas, where the couple landed for good. By the time Dionne launched Fredericksburg Coffee Co., he had established 13 years of roasting experience.
Dionne recognizes that many of Fredericksburg’s residents and visitors appreciate the delicate characteristics of wine, and that coffee provides a similar sipping experience. With his blends, Dionne roasts each bean type individually to its ideal specifications before the blend is combined.
“I tell people, when they buy coffee from me, I don’t want to just be the guy they buy coffee from,” Dionne said. “I want to be their coffee partner.”
Partners
At times, Dionne’s coffee roasting room is filled with students where Dionne teaches the staff of his restaurant and retail partners everything he knows about coffee.
Fredericksburg Coffee Co.’s classes are available to the public for $50 but their retail partners have access to them free to simply increase their passion and knowledge of the product.
With easy going but consistent growth, Pete and his wife now offer 18 varieties of single roasts and blends available to their customers and retailers. Individuals can purchase coffee directly from Fredericksburg Coffee Co. or find retailers of the artisanal brand by visiting the “find us” tab of their website.
Grateful & Growing
Here in this season of Thanksgiving, Dionne expressed a deep gratitude for the community he serves and the work he gets to do.
“We grew it steadily and I absolutely love what I do,” Dionne said, who will be 50 soon. The Dionne family have no intention of growing into a large coffee business.
“Every other business owner that we come into contact with has been amazing to work with," Dionne sad. "They all support us as much as we want to support them.”
Fredericksburg Coffee Co. can be found online at fredericksburgcoffeeco.com. For information about their coffee classes, email fbgcoffeeco@gmail.com. Their premium coffee beans can be purchased at locations throughout the region including Sunday Supply, Hill & Vine, The Market at Elk & Main and Hill Country Herb Garden.
“Everything we do is just a little bit elevated, so that’s what sets me apart from other people.” - Pete Dionne
Pete and his wife Jessica have thrived since starting Fredericksburg Coffee Co. Here in this season of Thanksgiving, Dionne expressed a deep gratitude for the community he serves and the work he gets to do.