The Folgers coffee roasting plant has been a part of eastern New Orleans since 1960, when new transportation routes from Central America to the city made it one of the largest green coffee markets in the United States. At this time, many companies and coffee importers were more concerned with appearance than taste, buying beans solely based on their looks. It was then that a new technique known as glass tasting was born in San Francisco, and James Folger decided to implement it within his own company. Glass tasting is a method used by producers and buyers around the world to check the quality of a batch of coffee. During World War II, shipping routes shifted from Central America to New Orleans, making it one of the largest green coffee markets in the United States.
Folger had arrived from Nantucket Island at age 15 during the California Gold Rush. After returning to San Francisco in 1865, he became a full partner of Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills. In 1985, Folgers released a TV ad called Peter Comes Home, which was particularly associated with the Christmas holidays. Through hard work and diligence, Folger had become a partner of the company and left behind his golden dreams for a future in coffee. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Folgers promoted their instant coffee in advertisements that took viewers to several “high-end” restaurants, while a voiceover whispered that they had secretly traded the coffee used in the restaurant for Folgers. It was then that James Folger met Olson, a Swedish neighbor played by Virginia Christine who always recommended a cup of Folgers coffee for the characters in the commercial.
In the 1850s, kerosene began to offer a cheaper alternative to whale oil, which had been Nantucket's lifeblood, resulting in the reuse of many of its ships to bring coffee from South America to San Francisco. In the 1950s, James Folger built a roasting plant in New Orleans, where maritime routes from Central America carried thousands of tons of raw coffee beans to the port each year. Taking matters into his own hands, he decided to test every shipment of coffee beans Folgers bought. This is how one of the most enduring and endearing brands in American history was born - Folgers Coffee has been serving great tasting coffee since 1850.
