Mello Joy Coffee was founded in 1936 by brothers Louis and Will Begnaud. Mello Joy became the talk of the town, and dreams became reality as the people of Acadiana began calling it their own. Times were tough from the beginning, but the brothers were determined to be key players in the Louisiana market. Louis eventually bought out his brother to become the sole owner of Mello Joy, and it was not l
ong before the smells of the Cajun coffee were creating lasting memories for decades to come. It was the winning spirit Louis created for his company that made Mello Joy the must-have beverage for Cajuns from the 1940s through the mid-1970s. Mello Joy was everywhere, making it the No. 1 coffee brand in Louisiana. After more than two decades of absence from the market, Mello Joy was revived in 2000 after years of consumers asking, "What happened to Mello Joy?”
The resurrected Mello Joy Coffee Company, based in Lafayette, Louisiana, was formed under the new ownership of majority Partner Wayne Elmore, CEO of Louisiana Physician Corporation, Mississippi Physician Corporation, Southern Benefit Services, Chair Slippers, LLC, and E-TennisBalls.com. Elmore is a highly respected business, philanthropic, and civic leader. Mello Joy quickly is becoming the preferred coffee for consumers throughout Louisiana, and now is available in several markets around the country. With a rapidly expanding presence on grocery store shelves, in coffee houses and at corporate businesses and restaurants, there is no question the fond memories created by Mello Joy in the 1940s are being recreated today.
