Why Oysters!?

Our Story: From Salt Marsh to Steam

I didn’t set out to start a coffee company. I set out to preserve a story.

Ralph’s Coffee Co. began with a single rusted oyster can  a Christmas gift that carried far more than its weight in tin. It belonged to my great grandfather, Ralph E. Watson, who ran the Ralph E. Watson Oyster Co. right here on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Back then, oysters were shipped in hand-packed cans, each stamped with a unique license number a small piece of a working man’s legacy.

That can reminded me that the island was built by hands that worked the tides and lived off the water  people who didn’t mind getting their boots muddy or their fingers raw. Ralph’s Coffee Co. is my way of honoring that spirit taking what once left this island in oyster cans, and now sending it out with coffee.

Every roast is rooted in the same values that shaped the shore: grit, craftsmanship, and authenticity. From the dark depths of Deckhand’s Dark Blend to the smooth comfort of Little Beach Medium, each bag tells a piece of that story of salt marsh mornings, hard-earned heritage, and the quiet strength that never left this island.

So when you pour a cup of Ralph’s, you’re not just drinking coffee. You’re carrying forward a legacy one born from the sea, built on family, and roasted with heart.