In 1936 they decided to make the 'big leap'. So with all of their saving they started Mello Joy Coffee Company. Despite trying times and a very quick burnout of his brother Will, Louis was able to begin his quest for dominance of the coffee market in South Louisiana. Mello Joy became the talk of the town and dreams became reality as the people of Acadiana began calling it their own. 'Market Share' was not a common term in those days, but without a doubt, Mello Joy was by far the #1 Coffee!

Throughout the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, Mello Joy was everywhere. You couldn’t go anywhere and not be offered a cup of hot, fresh Mello Joy.

After almost 40 years of running a successful coffee company and nearing retirement, in 1975 Louis decided to sell Mello Joy to Community Coffee of Baton Rouge. Community was trying to penetrate the south Louisiana coffee market but due to Mello Joy’s dominance they found it next to impossible.

Upon acquiring the brand, they began to limit production until they had completely phased it out, causing the end of Mello Joy, or so they thought!

Fast forward to the year 2000. While working for an engineering firm in Houston, Texas, and having to make regular sales calls back to Southern Louisiana, Louis’ grandson, Brian Begnaud was constantly being asked if it was his family that once owned Mello Joy Coffee. He soon realized that there might still be a need for that old yellow and black bag of joe!

Upon deciding to resurrect the once popular brand, Brian began finding out that there was quite a following who still remembered the once dominant coffee. After fine tuning the family blend, he sought out local retailers who were willing to put their product on their shelves. Many were hesitant but gave the product a try. To their amazement, the product began flying off of the store shelves. Shortly thereafter, Mello Joy began popping up in local businesses and restaurants throughout Louisiana.

With the media coverage given to the comeback of Mello Joy, two local investors realized the potential. Wayne Elmore, CEO and Clark White, former COO of Communications Corporation of America, both had fond memories of Mello Joy. After an introduction to Brian a deal was struck. The vehicle was in place to provide the financial assistance, the managerial expertise and corporate structure necessary to bring Mello Joy to the next level. Next, they sought out the expertise of Walter Arceneaux, a 23-year veteran in the coffee industry. Walter immediately began structuring a sales force to not only handle the “On Premise” side of business (offices, restaurants, convenience stores and industrial sites) but the “Retail” side (grocery stores) as well. He has also been instrumental in the design and development of Mello Joy Cafés. 

Once the team was formed, Mello Joy began its quest to regain its market share that it once dominated. As of today Mello Joy is servicing hundreds of “On Premise” accounts as well as “Retail” locations in 13 Louisiana parishes as well as Texas and Mississippi.

Plans for the future include expanding our territory, developing new products, and expanding our Mello Joy Cafés. We have found there is a demand for a true “Cajun” coffee and we are dedicated to telling our unique story.