In 1929, C.T. Ducote, Sr. and his son Curry traveled to the small West Texas town of San Angelo by way of Marksville, Louisiana. Times were hard. The Great Depression now had a firm grip wrapped tightly around America. With very little money and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit, they opened a small café & general store on Chadbourne Street in north San Angelo. Utilizing a small coffee roaster they purchased along the journey, Curry and his father began roasting and packaging coffee in the rear of the café. The coffee was served to patrons of the cafe. With the increasing demand for locally roasted coffee, it wasn't long until the two shifted their focus on the coffee instead of operating the café. Thus, the Red Triangle Coffee Brand was born. The brand slogan was "Red Triangle - Good from Every Angle".
C.T. roasted and packaged the coffee and Curry distributed it to local merchants in San Angelo and the surrounding communities. Curry's personality and genuine interest in people from all walks of life gave him the ability to befriend anyone. Soon, many friendships were made. Curry was asked by his customers to provide additional products such as black pepper and chili powder when he delivered the coffee to inns, roadhouses, and cafes in sparsely populated West Texas. Customers knew they could count on ‘Coffee Joe' to take care of their needs. As a result, the product line began to grow.
Rapid expansion and customer demand for more products created the need for a larger facility. In 1932, the company moved to East Avenue K in San Angelo and changed its name to Concho Coffee Company. The Original Fuentes Café was located next door. In 1935, a larger location was needed. 908 S. Chadbourne became the new address and DeCoty's Western Gold brand became the company's flagship blend of coffee. In 1937, the company moved into an even larger building at 616 S. Chadbourne. The company name changed again to DeCoty Coffee Company. Folks in West Texas had a bit of trouble properly pronouncing the Cajun-French surname Ducote, so the phonetic spelling ‘DeCoty' was adopted.
Many products were now being manufactured under DeCoty's private-label.Pancake syrup, barbeque sauce, vinegar, mustard, and jelly were packaged in one-gallon containers for foodservice use.
The geographic expansion of DeCoty's route sales network led to a distribution center being built in Odessa, Texas. The Odessa facility strengthened the company's ability to service customers in far West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. As the company expanded to the east, a second distribution center was built in Austin, Texas.
In 1963, DeCoty built a 38,000 sq. ft. roasting, manufacturing, and distribution center at 1920 Austin Street in San Angelo. Many of the foodservice products were also manufactured at this location. As time passed, DeCoty developed alliances with large food manufacturers to pack the foodservice products under DeCoty's private-label. This allowed the company to focus on the manufacture of coffee, tea, spices, and a new product called Miracle Dip. Miracle Dip is used to replace milk and eggs when making a batter for breading various meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables.
DeCoty Coffee Company has grown from these humble beginnings to what is now the most diversified coffee roaster in the southwest.
DeCoty imports green coffee and many other high-quality ingredients for its tea and spices from around the world. Headquartered in San Angelo, Texas, DeCoty now operates distribution and service centers located in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Odessa, Texas. Smaller distribution points are maintained throughout Texas. DeCoty operates its own fleet to distribute products directly to customers. Distributor partners and acquisitions have also helped the company expand its geographical reach. Products are shipped worldwide.
In 2004, DeCoty acquired La Crème Coffee & Tea, a manufacturer of specialty coffees and teas based in Dallas, Texas. La Creme operates direct distribution of products to customers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and beyond. La Crème has garnered world-wide recognition for their specialty teas. La Crème's award-winning specialty coffees and teas are served in the finest dining, hotel, and resort destinations around the world.
Diversification has been instrumental to the company's growth. In addition to coffee, tea, and spices, DeCoty offers a variety of foodservice products, equipment, and service options to complement its customized beverage programs. Many DeCoty-manufactured products are certified Kosher. Customers include restaurants, offices, convenience stores, coffee & tea retailers, supermarkets, healthcare facilities, foodservice distributors, hotels, and resorts.
DeCoty is an active member of the National Coffee Association, Specialty Coffee Association of America, National Restaurant Association, Texas Restaurant Association, and the Texas Food & Convenience Association. DeCoty was the first coffee company certified by the Texas Department of Agriculture's Taste of Texas program, now recognized as GO TEXAN.
Operating under the principles of quality and service, DeCoty Coffee Company remains dedicated to serving the needs of customers with knowledge and integrity.
Experience the Flavors of the World with DeCoty Coffee, Tea & Spices.
