Roasters Edge & Deja Brew
Panama City Beach couple Jerry and Monique Williams are doing it all, from growing coffee beans on their farm in Coast Rica to roasting coffee beans to perfection for a consistently wonderful cup of coffee at their Deja Brew coffee shop.
“I just wanted a good cup of coffee,” said Jerry Williams of Deja Brew Coffee House in Panama City Beach, FL. His forty year search for the perfect cup of joe led him to purchase a small home roaster and a new business that he would share with his wife Monique. “The roaster only yield about two pots of coffee per batch, but I knew I was on to something.” In 2002, he bought a larger machine that would give him half pound batches. As the hobby grew into a small business, the four to five hours an evening spent in the garage roasting began to wear on his wife (now of 18 years) Monique. Jerry’s answer, “Why not come out here and let’s do this together?” This is how Roasters Edge Coffee company got started.
Late in 2006, Jerry Williams, a professor in the Business Division at Gulf Coast Community College, supplied his coffee to the division’s Christmas party. That was how and when the word got out about Jerry and Monique’s coffee. Requests for coffee came pouring in, and Roasters Edge needed to scale up. A new two kilogram roaster gave them the ability to purchase their “green” beans by the 150 lb. bag. Roasters Edge was growing again. Jerry and Monique traveled to South Florida to attend a specialty school and emerged as Master Roasters.
As retirement loomed, a trip to Costa Rica, followed by subsequent ones, led to a long day in a lawyer’s office, and the Williams walked out as owners of a twenty-one acre coffee plantation, “Finca De Café Dos Rios,” Two Rivers Coffee Farm. After retirement in 2011, they began to look for a location for their roasting business. “We knew that we would eventually want to open some kind of coffee shop or café. It was in our five year plan. We just did not think it would happen so soon.” Their location at St. Thomas Square offered them the opportunity for both.
Renovations began in early 2013 and, on April 25, they had their soft opening, followed by the grand opening on May 17, 2013. As both businesses have grown, Jerry and Monique have been able to turn over some of the duties to their employees. “It was hard to give up some of the duties. We had done everything together up until now” said Monique. They employ current and former students of the Culinary Management program at Gulf Coast State College. At Deja Brew, they roast coffee from twelve different countries and they only brew and serve what they roast in house. Coffee just does not get any fresher than this. Guests can experience one of their special blends in a French press or an espresso and watch Jerry or Monique roast coffee in their large five kilogram roaster. “When we dump the beans in, the steam fills the room. Our guests are flooded with a wave of fresh coffee aroma.” They make up many special blends, from a “Full-Throttle” blend for bikers to a Go-Go Espresso Blend, along with many seasonal ones. A coffee lover is sure to find the perfect bean.
What started as a simple quest for a good cup of coffee led to a passion that would see Jerry and Monique write a new chapter in their lives. Their café offers a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere, even offering live entertainment during the summer. A single visit will turn you into a fan of their coffee. Just stop in and they will gladly blend or brew something special for you.
Deja Brew is located at St. Thomas Square, 8730 Thomas Drive, Unit 1109 in Panama City Beach, FL. Visit their website www.recdejabrew.com for more information.
By Paul Ashman