The Mud Team, left to right: Chandler Branch, CEO | Jennifer Bankston, Production Assistant | Chris Ruess, President | Stacy Brinkley, Master Roaster
Inspired by Flavor
From its beginnings in 2004, roasting coffee on the banks of the Mississippi River, the company has practiced the craft of small batch coffee roasting with an uncompromising commitment to freshness and flavor, earning a loyal following and a name that is synonymous with great coffee.
This company was born out of a love for great coffee . . .
Back in the day, most coffees were sold in cans and very few small-batch coffee roasters existed in St Louis. However, one of those roasters belonged to a good friend of mine who was not only passionate about coffee but was also, like me, a runner. Every Sunday, after a 10-mile run, we’d stop by his roaster and enjoy some freshly roasted brews; I was mesmerized by how incredible great coffees could taste and wanted to learn how to roast. So I left my architectural job, took a master class for coffee roasters, and was hooked for life. I cashed out my 401K and purchased my first roaster. My wife thought I was crazy. Nearly two decades later and great coffee is still a joy for us, and something we’re now sharing with people all over the country.
— CHRIS RUESS, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
Meet the Team
If you’re a fan of Mississippi Mud Coffee, you probably owe MASTER ROASTER STACY BRINKLEY a high five (she puts a lot of tender loving care into your favorite brew!) Eight years into her tenure with our company and we’re as glad as ever that she left her promising career as a chef to join the crew. Coffee can only be as good as the roaster makes it, so yeah, it’s nice to have a Jedi on the team.
True to her background as a nurse, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JENNIFER BANKSTON never fails to provide that all-important help whenever and wherever needed to ensure our customers get their coffee on time and in tip-top shape. It’s work only the most team-oriented individual could handle, let alone enjoy, so of course Jen knocks it out like clockwork—and with a healthy dose of laughter and smiles.
COMPANY PRESIDENT CHRISTOPHER RUESS founded Mississippi Mud Coffee in 2004 and remains actively involved both as a visionary and a get-it-done team player. His love for great coffee is infectious and adventurous. Hence the new ideas we keep churning out!
Chief Executive Offer Chandler Branch jumped whole hog into the coffee biz after nearly two decades in nonprofit music, visual art and (surprise) coffee. He spins a lot of plates for the company and claims to enjoy them all: mission, marketing, dollars and cents; turns out small business and arts admin have a lot in common!
What’s with
the name?
Our company traces its roots back to the muddy banks of the Mississippi River, in St. Louis, where we first began roasting coffee in 2004. We’re inspired not only by the majesty of the river itself but also by the community that surrounds it in this our home town. What better place than St. Louis to soak in and celebrate both natural beauty and rich cultural diversity? It’s here that our reputation as a homegrown brand was born out of years of service to area coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants and cafes, and it’s here we’re proud to stay.
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