Java Grande is owned by Howard County resident Monique DeBerry. Monique has wanted to own her own business for as long as she can remember. Since her graduation from the University of Virginia, Monique has worked in sales in the Forest Products Industry selling paper products to businesses that either changed the large rolls or sheets of paper into cups, labels, cartons, fragrance boxes, cereal boxes, French fry scoop boxes, poster board or reams of copy paper. During the many years of selling paper all over the country, Monique spent a lot of time meeting or working in coffee shops. Consequently, Monique had a tremendous opportunity to critique the coffee, the atmosphere and the service of many coffee shops. Monique believed that given the chance, she could create an ideal coffee shop experience in Howard County. 
When Monique's division was sold to another paper company and she was downsized from her position of National Accounts Manager, the opportunity she had hoped for presented itself. She jumped in with both feet and is happy to say that she is very proud of her coffee business. She is happy to bring Ellicott City live music, book signings, poetry readings, wifi and a great spot to meet, study, socialize, network or simply relax.
The coffee that Monique brings in not only was named 2nd place in a national taste test, but comes from a Roaster in South Carolina that takes pride in having a better than FAIR TRADE relationship with their Coffee Bean Farmers, they have a DIRECT relationship with the Farmers. The Roaster knows the Farmers and provides them a better price by eliminating the middle man commodity importer. The coffee beans are purchased only from these farms which have been certified by the Rain Forest Alliance. The Rain forest Alliance promotes healthy lives for people, wildlife, and the planet by establishing sustainable ways of working the land.
The coffee beans are Arabica beans that are imported directly from the Cerrado Estate Farmers from the Cerrados Region of Brazil. The beans are roasted in small batches using century old methods to capture the essence of these hand picked naturally processed beans.
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