Earl Grey de la Creme

When Jim Pellegrini first started roasting coffee out of his small garage in Cary, North Carolina, it was just a hobby born out of a simple need for good coffee. He was getting frustrated with the old, outsourced coffee available at grocery stores and chain coffee shops, and wanted something more.

Debbie and Jim explained, “We want to know where our coffee comes from. We want to know that it was produced sustainably, and that was harvested with care. We also want it to taste good.”

As more friends and family started trying Jim’s home-roasted coffee, they urged, “You know, this is really good. You should start selling this so that other people can enjoy it, too.” The idea took hold, and in late 2006 Debbie and Jim purchased a building in Morrisville and started exploring coffees to source. The only thing left to figure out was the name; one day, Jim brewed a pot of freshly roasted coffee, and as he poured it into the cup, thought “This color looks just like my dog, Bailey, when she gets all muddy from playing.” And so, Muddy Dog Roasting Company was born.