Paul Bonds will tell you, “growing up, I didn’t even like coffee. I’d drink it a little in college, not for the taste of it, but mainly to keep me awake.”
That all changed when Bonds had a coffee epiphany.
“I had a great cup of coffee from a roaster who used to be in business in Jackson about 15 years ago. There was a coffee tasting. I tried an African blend and really liked it. It had a light, fruity flavor that I really enjoyed. After that I was kind of hooked and started trying different roasters around the country,” said Bonds, at his CoffeeBean Fruit Company in Flowood.
Paul Bonds, owner and roaster of the BeanFruit Coffee Company, shows a Mexican variety of raw coffee beans, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. The company imports coffee beans from around the world and ships their products locally and nationally. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
“After that, I started trying to roast coffee beans at home, just for myself. I thought I got pretty good at it. So now and then, my friends would be sort of my guinea pigs. I began talking to my friends about coffee this and coffee that until their eyes glazed over.”
“One of those friends asked me if I’d ever thought about going into some kind of coffee business. My immediate reaction was an emphatic no. But you know what? The idea stuck with me. So much so that I bought a roaster, nothing fancy,” He said, smiling and shaking his head at the memory. “Nothing fancy, just a simple, little cheap roaster and started roasting coffee beans in my garage.”
A cup of espresso coffee in the making at the BeanFruit Coffee Company, located in Flowood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. The company ships their products locally and nationally. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
The BeanFruit Coffee Company name derives from the product itself. The coffee bean is actually a fruit called a coffee cherry. When ripened, they are picked from the coffee plant. Within those coffee cherries are seeds called peaberries. To the naked eye, they look like little beans.
Paul Bonds, owner and roaster of the BeanFruit Coffee Company, shows a variety of green coffee beans, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. The company imports coffee beans from around the world and ships their coffee products locally and nationally. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Imports coffee beans from around the world at the BeanFruit Coffee Company, located in Flowood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. The company not only ships their products locally and nationally, they train baristas-to-be, and teach maintenance on the various coffee makers they sell. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
The aromas of roasting coffee beans and brewing coffee fill the senses at the BeanFruit Coffee Company. The noise from various machinery grinding and roasting coffee beans is a fitting backdrop.
BeanFruit Coffee Company lead roaster Ahmed Othmani, roasting a batch of coffee beans, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Roasted coffee beans at the BeanFruit Coffee Company, located in Flowood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Not only is Bonds importing coffee beans from around the world, his company also ships nationally and internationally. Baristas-to-be are trained on the particular coffee brewer their business uses, coffee brewers and memorabilia is sold, and there is training on how to maintain the equipment.
Paul Bonds, owner and roaster of the BeanFruit Coffee Company, brews a fresh cup of coffee at the Flowood business, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Paul Bonds, owner and roaster of the BeanFruit Coffee Company, describes the coffee bean roasting process, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. The company imports coffee beans from around the world and ships the coffee products locally and nationally. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Jeff Lowery prepares an order for shipment at the BeanFruit Coffee Company in Flowood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. The company imports coffee beans from around the world and ships the coffee products locally and nationally. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Jeff Lowery prepares an order for shipment at the BeanFruit Coffee Company in Flowood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
“After a while, I’d take bags to the Farmer’s Market. Wouldn’t you know, I gained a following. That following grew and I started to pick up cafes and restaurants as clients, and began selling online. In 2012, I went full time. Who’d have thought, all this from a friend asking one question I couldn’t shake.”
A few of the products offered by the BeanFruit Coffee Company, located in Flowood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. The company imports coffee beans from around the world, ships their products locally and nationally, train baristas-to-be, and teaches maintenance on the various coffee makers they sell. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
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