I was born and raised in Southern California in a city called Torrance, California. It is a 30-minute drive south of Los Angeles (depending on the traffic.) I graduated from Torrance High School (some of you might recognize it from Beverly Hills 90210) in 2004 and went to El Camino Community College where I was studying to be a Sign Language Interpreter. I choose to party with friends instead and dropped out of school and worked at Starbucks in Harbor City.

For a few years working at Starbucks I got into learning more about the various coffee regions, and the flavor profile from various origins and fell in love with coffee. I knew one day I wanted to start a coffee shop… or so I thought …

In 2008 I took a job working part-time for FedEx at their LAX Airport hub because of the recession and needed a more stable income. I ended up working for FedEx for the next 8 years and during that time I met the love of my life, my husband Kevin, we adopted our two pups Yukon and Darla.

2015 I was pregnant with our son Ethan and when I was  3 weeks away from having our son we made the decision to move to Oregon for a job opportunity with FedEx at their station in Portland. We moved here all by ourselves with no family or friends and yet we were about to start our own. My son Ethan was born 3 weeks and 4 days into us settling into Oregon. Years later, I left FedEx and went back to working for Starbucks part-time, and then left Starbucks for good and found a job at Costco. 

in 2019 I was listening to a podcast about how to roast coffee at home. I was intrigued and started learning anything and everything I could about roasting coffee in my house. I remember the first sip of Bolivian Coffee I roasted for the first time and it was the best cup of coffee I ever enjoyed. This was the “ah-ha” moment and I formed Elliott & Murrey Coffee Roasters.

 

The Evolution of this Mom-Owned Coffee Company

When I started Elliott & Murrey, I didn’t know my identity. I followed the flow of other local coffee roasters and never branched out to identify what makes me and my brand unique. That’s bothered me for a long time because I never really had a label for myself, and I was just me. A woman who owned her coffee roasting business happens to be a mom. But that was just it; I’m a Mom- Owned Coffee Company. I roast the coffee, and hence the tagline ” Roasted by Mom ” was born. I realized this was when I wanted a unique coffee blend just in time for Mothers Day. I made a rainbow-themed label and called it ” Roasted by Mom ” – It was a smash hit.

Right then and there, I realized the marks I was missing with advertising and creating a brand that people could trust were right in front of my face. I decided to file a trademark with the tagline Roasted by Mom immediately. It makes sense because I’m a mother of a seven-year-old who is about to start 1st grade in the fall. I want to ensure he grows up to be the best person and provide the best of everything. I want to be able to have my company still when he gets older and learn about the coffee industry.

Moms want the best for their family and children, especially when it comes to running a business; they want to provide the best goods or services they offer. That is how I roll when it comes to using high-quality specialty-grade coffee and roasting in a way for all to enjoy. I share with everyone my fufu light roast coffee and share coffee with those who want coffee that tastes like coffee. I have a little something to share: my love, my craft, and my passion for coffee.

 

So who is Elliott and who is Murrey ?!?

They are both of my names. It is all me dude.

I grew up in a family-owned business that manufactured billiards, pool tables, and bowling lanes called Murrey & Sons Inc. My Grandfather, Gordon Murrey ran the company as the CEO and he was my inspiration to one day either run the company or have my own business one day.  When I started my coffee company I wanted to honor him and my family.

I’m also an Elliott because I took my husband’s name and wanted to incorporate this with our family but also it is a part of me, my identity. I believe that everyone is family from our amazing customers or those who drank our coffee once and never saw them again. No matter what your story is, you get a warm cup of coffee and a welcome into our roastery.