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Celebrating 45 Years: Down Home Foods & Thanksgiving Coffee
Celebrating 45 Years with Down Home Foods!
We’ve been in the coffee biz for a long time now and it’s time to pay homage to those who have been with us since the very beginning of it all. As you may or may not know, Thanksgiving Coffee was founded in 1972 by Paul and Joan Katzeff – you can read our full story here (it’s really quite interesting) and Down Home Foods has been around for quite awhile as well! Here’s to Down Home Foods! Thank you for offering Thanksgiving Coffee to your customers for over 45 years!
Down Home Foods is a small family-owned market in Fort Bragg offering fresh meals from sandwiches to samosas to baked goods, a juice bar - you'll want to try the Down Home Blend for sure - locally-sourced breads, deli-sliced meats and cheeses, handmade merchandise, organic beauty and hygeine products, bulk pantry items, snacks and so much more. Honestly, I could spend hours in Down Home Foods. AND, if they don't have something you're looking for, they can often order what you need to arrive at the shop. We're so lucky to have Down Home Foods here on the Mendocino Coast.
115 S. Franklin St., Fort Bragg, CA
Try one of our June featured coffees!
20% off this month only.
Recommended Reading
Back to the Blog-
Coffee From Us ~ To You
Thanksgiving Coffee's Sales and Delivery Crew are full of knowledge handed down by our founders, (Joan and Paul Katzeff), and the valuable team their son, Jonah Katzeff CEO, has assembled to serve our community. The coffee they deliver and the coffee support they give you are built on the unique relationship with the family farms and small co-operatives that Thanksgiving has cultivated with generations of coffee farmers. This kind of connection is earned through hard work and dedication, and that is exactly what our sales and delivery team are full of. Let me introduce them to you. See if you can notice a theme. (Hint, positive co-workers).
Don Arnold - Direct Delivery Coordinator
Don has worked at Thanksgiving Coffee since 2000, longer than anyone, not naming Paul or Joan. That means 22 years and still going. He likes that there are no layoffs, unlike his old job at the local Saw Mill. He loves the free coffee every employee gets, and all the great co-workers. When he is not at work he likes to watch and play different sports, and video games, and hang out with his wife.
His favorite music to listen to is Rock and Rap. Don's favorite coffee is Ethiopia Natural and he likes to drink his coffee with a scoop of hot chocolate.
Shane Powers - Online Sales Administration
Shane started working with Thanksgiving Coffee in 2021. He loves being part of an organization that values the community, its employees and customers, and their impact on nature and humanity. He also loves the rich history of Thanksgiving Coffee's active shaping of the specialty coffee industry. When he is not at work Shane likes to spend a lot of time in nature and wading through the shallow tidal zones of the Mendocino Coast.
He has a wide range of musical likes, from 70's and 80's. He especially loves great music that defies category (Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead/Thom Yorke, Moses Sumney).
Shane has really been loving the mellow complexity of the Costa Rica – Las Lajas coffee lately. He has tried just about every method of brewing, but at home, he always preferres a simple pour-over.
Brian Potter - Direct Delivery
Brian has been working at Thanksgiving Coffee since 2020. He likes working here because of his co-workers, his schedule, and he likes to drive! When he is not at work Brian likes to hunt, fish and be outdoors, and anything that is fun. His favorite music to listen to is Rock and Country.
Brian's favorite coffee is the Upsetter. He likes to brew it in a coffee maker and takes it black most of the time.
Kelsey Price - Sales Representative
Kelsey began working with Thanksgiving in at the beginning of 2022. She likes the positive environment, and how everyone she works with is authentic, kind and caring. When she is not at work she likes to spend time at the river, in the forest, camping, fishing, laughing with friends, family game nights, going for long walks with her dog, thrifting, and enjoying life.
Kelsey likes everything when it comes to music! As for her favorite coffee, she says that "The Upsetter and Kenya Peaberry are tied for first." At home she uses a French Press or makes cold brew in a big mason jar. She goes back and forth between black or some ½ & ½.
Nathan Nies - Delivery
Nathan has been working with Thanksgiving Coffee for 10 years, however he was a serving account at The Bus Stop before that. If you add both of those together you get a grand total of 20 yrs. He likes working here because of the Mission. He says that there are few other companies that have the goals, as well as the bonafides in the industry, to say they have made the kind of positive impact on the culture, farmers and environment as Thanksgiving Coffee Company has.
When not at work he enjoys reading, roleplaying games, woodworking and the odd bit of trouble. His feels you can't go wrong with some classic psychedelic rock, electro-swing or celtic fiddles when listening to music. Nathan is a fan of our Costa Rica medium roast coffee, which he likes to brew in a pour over and drink it black.
Coffee is our medium, community resilience is our passion, and the health and happiness of our farmers is our goal.
Our CommunitySales and Delivery of Thanksgiving Coffee
read more -
Our team that gets the coffee to you
The arms and legs of the company are found in our Production Team as they move smoothly between the freshly roasted beans, to the final customer packages. This zone is buzzing with movement from the fresh batch of beans rushing down the gravity feed shoot to a new coffee barrel. The Production crew mixes the different roasts and portions carefully to produce the great flavorful blends. When needed, they take the whole beans and grind them to the right specifications to be brewed to their highest potential. The crew then takes all this tasty roasted coffee, box it up, and ship it out to you, our customers. Here they are.
Palmer Evans – Production Supervisor
Palmer Evans has been with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for seven years. He enjoys the people he works with and likes what the company stands for. When he is not at work he does what his kids want to do… Play video games, spend time with family and their dogs.
Palmer enjoys rock music, but he can listen to just about everything except bag pipes…. “Never could get into those”, he says. His favorite Coffee is Kenya Peaberry, however, he does like mixing Kenya Peaberry and the Ethiopian Gedeb together 50/50. “Its SUPER fruity”. He likes to brew his coffee using a French Press.
Celia Garrido - Shipping
Celia Garrido has worked with the company for over 21 years. This position has been a huge part of her life. She has worked here for so long that she watched her kids grow up and the company grow at the same time. It has been a fun and interesting job in her eyes. She likes to be here because she finds the environment positive, interesting, and she likes making our customers happy.
When Celia is not working, she likes to be home and care for her grandbaby, as nothing else compares to her Christina. She likes to relax, doesn’t really like to cook too much anymore, mostly it is all about her grandchild.
Her favorite music is romance and Cumbia, and her favorite bands are Panco Barraza and Julio Jaramillo.
Celia’s favorite coffee is Byron’s wash from Nicaragua and her second favorite is the FairTrade Beaujolais blend. She brews it in a drip coffee maker at home and likes to add a chocolate creamer or just milk.
(No Photo Requested)
Sonia Sosa - Production
Sonia Sosa has been with the company for two years. She likes the location of the company in town and appreciates the kind people that she works with.
When Sonia is not working, she likes to take walks, to rest, and watch TV. Her favorite music is Mexican Reggaeton. She also likes Karol G - Provenza. Sonia’s favorite coffee is Mocha Java and brews it on a drip coffee maker. She takes her coffee with milk.
Xavion Bishop – Production
Xavion Bishop has worked with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for about a year and counting. He says that the production team relies heavily on teamwork. If you need any form of assistance, there will be someone to give you a helping hand, no matter what. When he is not working here, he enjoys dabbling in 2-D art.
Xavion’s favorite music is Samba. His favorite coffee is Kenya Peaberry. He was not a coffee drinker before working here so he is still relatively new to the coffee world. Due to this lack of knowledge, he usually takes his coffee black to learn the intended flavor of the beans.
Here are the coffees our production crew like, want to try one?
Our CommunityProduction Crew of Thanksgiving Coffee Company
read more

Coffee From Us ~ To You
Thanksgiving Coffee's Sales and Delivery Crew are full of knowledge handed down by our founders, (Joan and Paul Katzeff), and the valuable team their son, Jonah Katzeff CEO, has assembled to serve our community. The coffee they deliver and the coffee support they give you are built on the unique relationship with the family farms and small co-operatives that Thanksgiving has cultivated with generations of coffee farmers. This kind of connection is earned through hard work and dedication, and that is exactly what our sales and delivery team are full of. Let me introduce them to you. See if you can notice a theme. (Hint, positive co-workers).
Don Arnold - Direct Delivery Coordinator
Don has worked at Thanksgiving Coffee since 2000, longer than anyone, not naming Paul or Joan. That means 22 years and still going. He likes that there are no layoffs, unlike his old job at the local Saw Mill. He loves the free coffee every employee gets, and all the great co-workers. When he is not at work he likes to watch and play different sports, and video games, and hang out with his wife.
His favorite music to listen to is Rock and Rap. Don's favorite coffee is Ethiopia Natural and he likes to drink his coffee with a scoop of hot chocolate.
Shane Powers - Online Sales Administration
Shane started working with Thanksgiving Coffee in 2021. He loves being part of an organization that values the community, its employees and customers, and their impact on nature and humanity. He also loves the rich history of Thanksgiving Coffee's active shaping of the specialty coffee industry. When he is not at work Shane likes to spend a lot of time in nature and wading through the shallow tidal zones of the Mendocino Coast.
He has a wide range of musical likes, from 70's and 80's. He especially loves great music that defies category (Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead/Thom Yorke, Moses Sumney).
Shane has really been loving the mellow complexity of the Costa Rica – Las Lajas coffee lately. He has tried just about every method of brewing, but at home, he always preferres a simple pour-over.
Brian Potter - Direct Delivery
Brian has been working at Thanksgiving Coffee since 2020. He likes working here because of his co-workers, his schedule, and he likes to drive! When he is not at work Brian likes to hunt, fish and be outdoors, and anything that is fun. His favorite music to listen to is Rock and Country.
Brian's favorite coffee is the Upsetter. He likes to brew it in a coffee maker and takes it black most of the time.
Kelsey Price - Sales Representative
Kelsey began working with Thanksgiving in at the beginning of 2022. She likes the positive environment, and how everyone she works with is authentic, kind and caring. When she is not at work she likes to spend time at the river, in the forest, camping, fishing, laughing with friends, family game nights, going for long walks with her dog, thrifting, and enjoying life.
Kelsey likes everything when it comes to music! As for her favorite coffee, she says that "The Upsetter and Kenya Peaberry are tied for first." At home she uses a French Press or makes cold brew in a big mason jar. She goes back and forth between black or some ½ & ½.
Nathan Nies - Delivery
Nathan has been working with Thanksgiving Coffee for 10 years, however he was a serving account at The Bus Stop before that. If you add both of those together you get a grand total of 20 yrs. He likes working here because of the Mission. He says that there are few other companies that have the goals, as well as the bonafides in the industry, to say they have made the kind of positive impact on the culture, farmers and environment as Thanksgiving Coffee Company has.
When not at work he enjoys reading, roleplaying games, woodworking and the odd bit of trouble. His feels you can't go wrong with some classic psychedelic rock, electro-swing or celtic fiddles when listening to music. Nathan is a fan of our Costa Rica medium roast coffee, which he likes to brew in a pour over and drink it black.
Coffee is our medium, community resilience is our passion, and the health and happiness of our farmers is our goal.
Sales and Delivery of Thanksgiving Coffee
read more
Our team that gets the coffee to you
The arms and legs of the company are found in our Production Team as they move smoothly between the freshly roasted beans, to the final customer packages. This zone is buzzing with movement from the fresh batch of beans rushing down the gravity feed shoot to a new coffee barrel. The Production crew mixes the different roasts and portions carefully to produce the great flavorful blends. When needed, they take the whole beans and grind them to the right specifications to be brewed to their highest potential. The crew then takes all this tasty roasted coffee, box it up, and ship it out to you, our customers. Here they are.
Palmer Evans – Production Supervisor
Palmer Evans has been with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for seven years. He enjoys the people he works with and likes what the company stands for. When he is not at work he does what his kids want to do… Play video games, spend time with family and their dogs.
Palmer enjoys rock music, but he can listen to just about everything except bag pipes…. “Never could get into those”, he says. His favorite Coffee is Kenya Peaberry, however, he does like mixing Kenya Peaberry and the Ethiopian Gedeb together 50/50. “Its SUPER fruity”. He likes to brew his coffee using a French Press.
Celia Garrido - Shipping
Celia Garrido has worked with the company for over 21 years. This position has been a huge part of her life. She has worked here for so long that she watched her kids grow up and the company grow at the same time. It has been a fun and interesting job in her eyes. She likes to be here because she finds the environment positive, interesting, and she likes making our customers happy.
When Celia is not working, she likes to be home and care for her grandbaby, as nothing else compares to her Christina. She likes to relax, doesn’t really like to cook too much anymore, mostly it is all about her grandchild.
Her favorite music is romance and Cumbia, and her favorite bands are Panco Barraza and Julio Jaramillo.
Celia’s favorite coffee is Byron’s wash from Nicaragua and her second favorite is the FairTrade Beaujolais blend. She brews it in a drip coffee maker at home and likes to add a chocolate creamer or just milk.
(No Photo Requested)
Sonia Sosa - Production
Sonia Sosa has been with the company for two years. She likes the location of the company in town and appreciates the kind people that she works with.
When Sonia is not working, she likes to take walks, to rest, and watch TV. Her favorite music is Mexican Reggaeton. She also likes Karol G - Provenza. Sonia’s favorite coffee is Mocha Java and brews it on a drip coffee maker. She takes her coffee with milk.
Xavion Bishop – Production
Xavion Bishop has worked with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for about a year and counting. He says that the production team relies heavily on teamwork. If you need any form of assistance, there will be someone to give you a helping hand, no matter what. When he is not working here, he enjoys dabbling in 2-D art.
Xavion’s favorite music is Samba. His favorite coffee is Kenya Peaberry. He was not a coffee drinker before working here so he is still relatively new to the coffee world. Due to this lack of knowledge, he usually takes his coffee black to learn the intended flavor of the beans.
Here are the coffees our production crew like, want to try one?
Production Crew of Thanksgiving Coffee Company
read more
The Next Generation Is Here
Persistently bold in their visionary approach to coffee, the founders of Thanksgiving Coffee, Joan and Paul Katzeff, led an industry toward equality and justice. Their leadership established ethical sourcing directly from small-scale farmer cooperatives which in turn inspired the first Fair Trade model. The company is built on the interconnectedness of coffee farmers, the coffee they produce, and the health and wellbeing of our shared environment.
For 50 years, Thanksgiving Coffee Company has chosen to actively use coffee as our force for good for the planet. Our leadership inspires this goodness to ripple out to all the people we work with. Our relationship with coffee is what gives the company the perseverance and fortitude to stay in business through all of life’s challenges, and it is literally what gets us up in the morning, no really!
The next generation of Thanksgiving Coffee Company’s leaders are here. Stepping into the role of CEO, the founders’ son, Jonah Katzeff, helps guide us with his lifetime of coffee knowledge.
Together we continue to work with coffee as our medium, community resilience as our passion, and the health and happiness of our farmers as our goal. “Not Just A Cup, But A Just Cup” is our motto, and it is as true as ever. A new generation with a regenerative vision, I invite you to meet our leadership team.
Jonah Katzeff - CEO
Jonah has worked at the company for the last 9 years. However, since it’s a family business, he has worked at the Company on and off for most of his adult life. Jonah enjoys the challenge of running a small business as it keeps him on his toes! He works with a lot of great people who genuinely care about the company and our customers. He likes how we produce a quality product that impacts a lot of people in positive ways all over the world. This is a good feeling. There is always more to learn in the world of coffee, and in business. Jonah enjoys this process and is grateful for the opportunity to lead Thanksgiving Coffee in its next phase
A few of his favorite musical artists are Zhu, The Polish Ambassador, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Rufus Du Sol, Sofi Tukker, Modest Mouse, and Leon Bridges.
He generally drinks light to medium roast blends. A few of his go-to coffees are FTO Mocha Java, Paul’s Blend, and FTO Beaujolais. He loves our Kenya, Ethiopia Gedeb, and Panama Geisha single origins for special occasions. During the week he drinks coffee from our staff’s coffee brewer in the tasting room, and occasionally enjoys making a cappuccino. On the weekends he makes pour-over at home. Most often he drinks coffee black but isn’t above a bit of milk or half + half in his coffee.
Jacob Long - Director of Coffee
Raised in Fort Bragg, Jacob has worked at Thanksgiving since June of 2007. First and foremost he is enthusiastic about all aspects of coffee, from how it is grown and processed, to how it’s roasted and brewed. He is also excited by having the ability to work with one of the finest coffees in the word, and maintain the quality of the coffee at a company that is 50 years old and has a reputation for quality. In his spare time he likes to forage for wild mushrooms, fish, spend time with his family, and stay busy. His favorite music is reggae, punk, and a little bit of everything else. Old style reggae, rock steady reggae is what he likes the most.
Jacob takes his coffee black. He likes to brew it with a full immersion process either with a Soft Brew or a French Press. He prefers light roasts from Ethiopia, the favorite is a wet processed Ethiopian coffee from the Yirgacheffe region.
Joe Seta - Sales and Marketing Manager
Joe joined us as Sales & Marketing Manager in 2022, but this is his second time around with Thanksgiving Coffee. He was the Manager of the Mendocino Bakery for 3 years, which Thanksgiving owned and operated (from 2009-2012). He is passionate about our products. He was a customer for years prior to becoming an employee, especially via our blend for through KOZT - The Coast FM, "The Roast from the Coast". Without coffee, radio shows aren't nearly as interesting. :)
Joe is a former professional recording engineer and producer for artists including Rickie Lee Jones, Dwight Yoakam and K. D. Lang. He has a broad appreciation for many styles of music. He likes classical performers like Leonard Bernstein, rock artists from Steely Dan through Rage Against the Machine, and many more.
His current favorite is the Panama Gesha with its brilliant high fruity notes, soft but balanced acidity with a firm low end for a light roast. The primary brewing method he uses at home is the French press (and an antique grinder!), but he also has a decent home-level espresso maker with a steaming wand.
Jennifer Brown- Office Manager
Jennifer Brown came to Thanksgiving Coffee about two months ago and is one of our newest employees. She has joined us as our office manager and helps with accounts payable and receivable. She likes that Thanksgiving is a company with purpose and makes the world a better place, one cup at a time.
When Jennifer is not working with us, she likes to read, write, cook, and spend time with her children. Her favorite music is from movie scores. Jennifer's favorite coffee is anything made by Thanksgiving Coffee Company and she likes it strong with a good flavored creamer.