Dr. Henry Bright, a retired orthodontist, opened the first O'Henry's in 1993 in Homewood, Alabama, a 1920's suburb of Birmingham. By his own account, the reason he started the business was quite simple: "I couldn't find a truly great cup of coffee in Birmingham".

Dr. Bright started his quest for the perfect cup of coffee two years before O'Henry's opened. He traveled to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, New York, Boston and other major cities doing research. He met people in the industry, attended industry conferences and coffee trade shows. Along the way he found just how much time, effort, talent and passion went into that "perfect cup of coffee". His appreciation for the final product grew along with his tenacity to do it just right in Birmingham.

Most coffeehouses buy roasted coffee beans from one or more sources somewhere in the United States. Henry saw this as a critical step to control himself. The traveling, reading, research and telephone calls started again. Henry decided he must buy the best green beans in the world and roast them himself. So he did.

To this day, O'Henry's buys and roasts their own beans at sister company, O'Henry's Coffee Roasting Company, also in Homewood. These beans represent the top 1% the world has to offer.

Dr. Bright sold O'Henry's to us in 1999. We still see him or talk to him almost every week. The coffee world owes much to the Henry Brights of the world. With fresh-brewed java in hand, we toast Henry and coffee enthusiasts throughout the world.

Randy and Mary Adamy
Roastmaster/Owners