JW Renfroe Pecan Co. is expanding into a new business under the legendary Renfroe name, but this time it appears as a pop-up coffee shop off the company’s main street location. 

SaraJane "SJ" Renfroe, the great-granddaughter of the company's namesake and hickory grower John William "JW" Renfroe, launched a coffee pop-up store this month and will be the sister company of the family business.

This internationally renowned company has made considerable progress in the past few years since it opened a second branch in downtown Pensacola in 2019. Now, Le Petit Pecan, a coffee pop-up shop, is proudly located outside 794 W. Main St., previously serving customers who went to the family store to shop.

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Renfroe said the name itself is an Americanized translation of the French phrase "hickory". Although these businesses are separate entities, Renfroe said she wanted to pay tribute to the stores she was immersed in as she grew up. The French in the title stems from Renfroe and her husband's love of travel and his fascination with French culture.

This new store specializes in fair and direct trade coffee and tea, while also offering customized flavor combinations. Renfroe said that her pecan shop customers attracted with freshly ground espresso usually tend to bold American coffee, which is priced at $2.75. More curious coffee drinkers will choose one of her specialty blends, such as lavender rose or butter pecan latte, for $6 each.

The menu also appeals to those who do not drink coffee. Various loose leaf teas are priced at US$3 per cup, such as local rose tea, jasmine tea or Thai tea. Gingerbread hot chocolate can also be used as a winter specialty drink for $5.

Renfroe usually provides hot drinks from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm from Monday to Friday, and there will be event pop-ups on weekends.

She plans to maintain these times throughout December, but will communicate any changes through her Facebook and Instagram pages, and she will update these pages regularly.

Once the work is complete, the pop-up bracket will be converted into an old trailer, which can then be transported to locations across Pensacola, and Renfroe is expected to be ready in February. She said the trailer will be functional and visually appealing, painted with a fresh pink paint, and can be used to serve drinks at events and weddings.

Although Renfroe has returned to the roots of her life in the Pensacola area, she has been traveling and learning about the world for the past few years while completing her master's degree in human rights studies at Columbia University in New York City.

Renfroe also completed an undergraduate degree in anthropology at Rollins College in Winter Park, and she said she has always been interested in human relationships. Before the pandemic, she was a project officer at HIAS in New York City, an international Jewish organization that assists refugees.

Through this role, she helped refugees find English courses and vocational training, and ultimately connected them with other non-profit organizations. 

When the pandemic prompted Renfroe and her husband David to leave the big city for fear of being separated from their families during the work stoppage, she realized that it would be difficult to continue to help refugees in New York while working on a computer in Florida.

"I'm just a little eager to get in touch with people," she said.

Looking ahead to a new career path, she began to associate her knowledge of advocating human rights and love for interpersonal relationships with owning a coffee company.

Renfroe said that due to her background, there are some factors that are not negotiable in the products she uses and the companies she chooses to support. The biggest factor is that the coffee and tea she buys must be fair trade.

In short, she wants to make sure that when coffee farmers sell their coffee beans, farmers can ensure that their products receive a fair wage. 

"In my opinion, this is the only way to absolutely ensure that farmers receive a fair wage," Renfro said. "The market price of coffee depends on the U.S. stock market. Normally, for coffee growers in many countries, it is super, super low and unsurvivable."

After starting to buy coffee beans from Ethos Coffee Roaster in Lakeland, she knew she was doing her part to ensure that her products were sold in an ethical manner. The two owners of this roasting factory are from coffee-growing countries Colombia and Guatemala, and they grew up around coffee farms. Now, the two are committed to fighting for better prices for poor farmers.

Renfroe said that she would eventually like to travel the world, sourcing and roasting coffee for her company. Now, she decided to start slowly and take the time to build her own company from scratch.

In every city where Renfroe has lived, she strives to find a place to belong, where she can open a shop and work, and believes that the barista will keep her order in mind.

Now, she has set out to do the same for others, creating an environment where people can hear, see and understand the conversation they share, not just the importance of a cup of coffee.

"It's a wonderful way to meet and talk to people," Renfro said.