In fall 2009, Jeremy Perrine lost his job and found out his wife was pregnant in the same week. The couple then decided to move from Louisville, Kentucky, to Pearland to help some friends who were opening a church in the city.

“My pregnant wife, our dog and I were staying in a [recreational vehicle] in someone’s driveway,” Perrine said. “We had just moved here. We had no jobs and no place to stay.”

Although Perrine said he intended to find a day job before pursuing a business venture, a friend approached him about buying a local coffee shop three days after arriving in Pearland. Perrine put together a business plan in four days and began Pearland Coffee Roasters with co-owner Eric Hammond in January 2010 at the former Antigua Coffee House. The business moved to its current location in March 2011.

Perrine first got the idea of opening a business from his mentors while studying to be a pastor. Perrine said he was initially puzzled at the notion but became more interested after managing a struggling Starbucks in the Louisville airport.

“I took the challenge [of managing the store], and I realized that I enjoyed running a business,” Perrine said.

Further inspiration came after attending a gathering of “super coffee nerds,” Perrine said.

“They invited me to come out to this coffee party,” he said. “I remember tasting this coffee, and I had never tasted a coffee like [it] before. I realized there was so much more that I could do on my own if I were to start my own coffee company.”

Hammond is in charge of capturing a blend’s desired flavor through a variety of roasting techniques.

“Roasting is just like [cooking] a steak,” Perrine said. “Adjusting [the temperature] a few degrees really changes the whole thing.”

Pearland Coffee Roasters offers traditional java drinks and pastries from a Houston bakery. Some of the shop’s specialty items include miel—a honey-and-cinnamon latte—and the House Latte, made with a bayleaf and uncracked-peppercorn syrup.

Pearland Coffee Roasters is a wholesale provider for several restaurants in the Greater Houston area, Perrine said. He said he hopes to grow that aspect of the business while continuing to provide flavorful blends for his customers.

“Something we’ve maintained is that we just want to make the best cup of coffee we can make,” he said.