Homemakers Brews A Delicious Partnership

You may have seen Chris James, of Coffalo Coffee, before, donning a bright orange jacket and helmet, riding his bike around Des Moines with slightly more famous sidekick, Bugsy the pug, in her own helmet and orange getup. We took a moment to learn more from Chris about how he got into the coffee roasting business here in Des Moines, and what his process looks like at his home roasting setup. We're proud to partner with a local business to bring you this taste of Homemakers and give a behind the scenes look on how it came to be.

Chris originally hails from Tempe, Arizona, but has called Iowa home for many years, raising a family and working as a manager over Principal Financials internal restaurant program for 25 years. That was, until the pandemic hit in 2020, and like many others, Chris was laid off from this job. Again, like many others, he turned to a long time hobby of his, coffee roasting, deciding to pursue it as new small business venture. He upgraded his one cup roaster to a one pound (per hour) roaster, and the journey began. Neighbors and friends were quick to support, and Chris, being a long time cyclist, naturally turned to delivery by bike. As business quickly grew, he was able to upgrade to a sixty pound (per hour) drum to roast even more beans.

(Check out Chris' bike ride to Homemakers Furniture showroom)

Fast forward to 2026, and Coffalo Coffee is found in many HyVee and Fareway locations, local Co-ops, and other locations in Central Iowa and Iowa City. The quick growth comes from having delicious, quality products, still personally roasted by Chris. The friendly face on a bike accompanied by a cute pup is just an added bonus!

Homemakers' own Senior Brand Manager, Neon McGraw, met James at the Downtown Farmers Market, and immediately thought there could be a great opportunity for partnership to create a custom blended coffee.

"For years now, I've started every Saturday at the Downtown Market with a stop at Coffalo. For my money, it's the best coffee in Iowa. Then one day it hit me. Often it's the little things that make a house feel like a home. A sectional is great, a new mattress is fantastic, but sometimes the smallest things, like starting your morning with a cozy cup of your favorite coffee that feels like 'home'. I knew then I wanted to bring Chris' amazing blends to our customers. Chris put together a truly unique blend of four beans you can only get at Homemakers! It's insanely delicious."

We called it "Cozy Cup," featuring notes of chocolate, toasted caramel, berries, and cozy memories around the table with friends and family.

We're proud to support Chris and Coffalo Coffee, stop in today to get your hands on your very own bag, and bring home a taste of Homemakers with "Cozy Cup."

Chris has been highlighted by several outlets the last few years, and you can read those articles here for more on his business journey; Des Moines City View Article and the Daily Iowan Article.