Made in Jacksonville: Martin Coffee Company
Family owned and operated still today, Martin Coffee Company has grown to become one of the largest and oldest independent coffee roasters in the Southeast. Earlier this week, company president, Ben Johnson gave Metro Jacksonville a tour of the local coffee roasting plant founded by his grandfather in 1957.
Martin Coffee Company is one of the many special long time local institutions operating in Jacksonville's urban core that gives the area it's unique atmosphere and cultural vibe. While Metro Jacksonville was invited to tour their Fairfield roasting plant by Ben Johnson, the company's Jacksonville history dates back to 1935 when Johnson's grandfather moved to Jacksonville from Brandon, Florida.
Fred Martin. Image courtesy of Martin Coffee Company.
Arriving in Jacksonville at the age of 19, Fred Martin's first job in town was as a coffee salesman for the Bingham Coffee Company. After 22 years with Bingham, Martin had become a part owner in Bingham when it was sold in 1957. Still believing there was a niche for the product, Fred and Amy Martin purchased Bartley's Coffee Company that same year, to open the Martin Coffee Company inside of a downtown Jacksonville warehouse on East Bay Street. At the time, East Bay Street was a waterfront industrial district. Here, specialty coffee was roasted in a two story plant for the company's clients, including various restaurants and hotels throughout the region. Amazingly today, the warehouse building where Martin Coffee began operation in 1957 still stands today. Now surrounded by a cluster of bars, the space's first floor lives on as the On Point Ink Tattoo Gallery at 327 East Bay Street.
A Martin Coffee delivery van parked in front of the new Duval County Courthouse in 1958. Image courtesy of Martin Coffee Company.
While on tour, Johnson provided us with an interesting urban tale, regarding his grandfather's old Bay Street coffee roasting plant and the only mid-block pedestrian crossing in downtown Jacksonville. A year after Martin's business went into operation on East Bay Street, the Duval County Courthouse opened across the street in 1958. Soon, county judges were crossing the street midblock to get their daily cup of joe from Martin. One day, a judge was almost struck by a passing vehicle while trying to cross the street. In a short period of time, a mid-block crossing was installed from the front door of the courthouse to Martin Coffee.
Martin Coffee on East Bay Street. The storefront served as an office while the vertical roasting and packaging operations were spread out over two floors. Image courtesy of Martin Coffee Company.
By the 1980s, operating a roasting facility on East Bay Street had become difficult. The space was cramped and shipping and receiving items by truck, meant moving them by hand from the street to the back of the building. In 1987, the company relocated to a larger facility at 1633 Marshall Street, near Talleyrand Avenue. Historically, this neighborhood has been known as the community of Fairfield. Originally, a separate city, the City of Fairfield was annexed into Jacksonville in 1887.
Today, 25 years later, the company remains a fixture in the Jacksonville community. The company's website proudly proclaims that over 750 million cups of Martin Coffee have been served since 1957, including daily cups for the last seven governors of Florida. We also discovered there was a Metro Jacksonville connection when Johnson told us his dad, Harold Johnson (second generation roaster), said to tell Stephen Dare hello. Evidently, Stephen's 1990's era Fusion Cafe in Riverside/Avondale's Five Points was a company client.
Allowing us to enjoy a freshly roasted cup of coffee, Johnson, a third generation roaster, mentioned the 12-employee company maintains coffee, tea, beverage equipment and espresso/cappuccino relationships with 400 customers within a two hour drive of Jacksonville. Many are well known local businesses such as The Fox, Matthew's, European Street Cafe and Peterbrooke Chocolatier. One thing at stood out upon our visit was the family atmosphere, working environment and long lasting client relationships that have been formed over the years. For example, St. Augustine's famed Santa Maria Restaurant has been serving Martin Coffee for over fifty years. During Martin's early years, Milligan's Beefy Burgers, Florida's first fast food hamburger drive thru chain, was a loyal client. When owner, Richard Milligan, decided to close the business due to competition from rapidly expanding national chains such as McDonald's, he was hired by Martin Coffee Company and was employed there the rest of his career. In the roasting plant, we were also delighted to meet another employee, Willie Deas, who had been with the company for over 40 years.
Next Page: A Look Inside the Martin Coffee Company's Roasting Plant
Inside the Martin Coffee Company
In 1987, Martin Coffee Company relocated their specialty coffee roasting operation from a cramped downtown storefront to a 1960s era building with higher ceiling heights and more floor area in Talleyrand.
The company provides up-to-date coffee and tea brewing equipment available to our their customers free of charge.
Martin roast coffee beans from a variety of South and Central American countries such as Brazil and Columbia. 15 different blends are roasted and packaged in the roasting facility.
Over 100 beverage products and supplies are stocked and offered for the company's office clients.
Martin's products are delivered to clients on a daily basis.
Serving many of our region's finest restaurants and hotels since 1957, the Martin Coffee Company is located at 1633 Marshall Street. For more information, visit MartinCoffee.com
Article by Ennis Davis. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com
Fred Martin. Image courtesy of Martin Coffee Company.
Arriving in Jacksonville at the age of 19, Fred Martin's first job in town was as a coffee salesman for the Bingham Coffee Company. After 22 years with Bingham, Martin had become a part owner in Bingham when it was sold in 1957. Still believing there was a niche for the product, Fred and Amy Martin purchased Bartley's Coffee Company that same year, to open the Martin Coffee Company inside of a downtown Jacksonville warehouse on East Bay Street. At the time, East Bay Street was a waterfront industrial district. Here, specialty coffee was roasted in a two story plant for the company's clients, including various restaurants and hotels throughout the region. Amazingly today, the warehouse building where Martin Coffee began operation in 1957 still stands today. Now surrounded by a cluster of bars, the space's first floor lives on as the On Point Ink Tattoo Gallery at 327 East Bay Street.
A Martin Coffee delivery van parked in front of the new Duval County Courthouse in 1958. Image courtesy of Martin Coffee Company.
While on tour, Johnson provided us with an interesting urban tale, regarding his grandfather's old Bay Street coffee roasting plant and the only mid-block pedestrian crossing in downtown Jacksonville. A year after Martin's business went into operation on East Bay Street, the Duval County Courthouse opened across the street in 1958. Soon, county judges were crossing the street midblock to get their daily cup of joe from Martin. One day, a judge was almost struck by a passing vehicle while trying to cross the street. In a short period of time, a mid-block crossing was installed from the front door of the courthouse to Martin Coffee.
Martin Coffee on East Bay Street. The storefront served as an office while the vertical roasting and packaging operations were spread out over two floors. Image courtesy of Martin Coffee Company.
By the 1980s, operating a roasting facility on East Bay Street had become difficult. The space was cramped and shipping and receiving items by truck, meant moving them by hand from the street to the back of the building. In 1987, the company relocated to a larger facility at 1633 Marshall Street, near Talleyrand Avenue. Historically, this neighborhood has been known as the community of Fairfield. Originally, a separate city, the City of Fairfield was annexed into Jacksonville in 1887.
Today, 25 years later, the company remains a fixture in the Jacksonville community. The company's website proudly proclaims that over 750 million cups of Martin Coffee have been served since 1957, including daily cups for the last seven governors of Florida. We also discovered there was a Metro Jacksonville connection when Johnson told us his dad, Harold Johnson (second generation roaster), said to tell Stephen Dare hello. Evidently, Stephen's 1990's era Fusion Cafe in Riverside/Avondale's Five Points was a company client.
Allowing us to enjoy a freshly roasted cup of coffee, Johnson, a third generation roaster, mentioned the 12-employee company maintains coffee, tea, beverage equipment and espresso/cappuccino relationships with 400 customers within a two hour drive of Jacksonville. Many are well known local businesses such as The Fox, Matthew's, European Street Cafe and Peterbrooke Chocolatier. One thing at stood out upon our visit was the family atmosphere, working environment and long lasting client relationships that have been formed over the years. For example, St. Augustine's famed Santa Maria Restaurant has been serving Martin Coffee for over fifty years. During Martin's early years, Milligan's Beefy Burgers, Florida's first fast food hamburger drive thru chain, was a loyal client. When owner, Richard Milligan, decided to close the business due to competition from rapidly expanding national chains such as McDonald's, he was hired by Martin Coffee Company and was employed there the rest of his career. In the roasting plant, we were also delighted to meet another employee, Willie Deas, who had been with the company for over 40 years.
Next Page: A Look Inside the Martin Coffee Company's Roasting Plant
Inside the Martin Coffee Company
In 1987, Martin Coffee Company relocated their specialty coffee roasting operation from a cramped downtown storefront to a 1960s era building with higher ceiling heights and more floor area in Talleyrand.
The company provides up-to-date coffee and tea brewing equipment available to our their customers free of charge.
Martin roast coffee beans from a variety of South and Central American countries such as Brazil and Columbia. 15 different blends are roasted and packaged in the roasting facility.
Over 100 beverage products and supplies are stocked and offered for the company's office clients.
Martin's products are delivered to clients on a daily basis.
Serving many of our region's finest restaurants and hotels since 1957, the Martin Coffee Company is located at 1633 Marshall Street. For more information, visit MartinCoffee.com
Article by Ennis Davis. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com