Peixoto Coffee Roasters

When Peixoto Coffee Roasters served its first cup, in January 2015, founder Julia Peixoto Peters knew better than anyone what it had taken to reach that milestone. The Chandler resident was born and raised in a family of coffee farmers in Minas Gerais, Brazil — the same area where her ancestors had first farmed coffee many generations before.

“Coffee in a cup is a miracle,” she says. “There are so many things that could go wrong that haven’t gone wrong, and so many things that had to go right, for that coffee to drink the way it does.”

As a teenager in rural Brazil, Peixoto Peters longed for a more exciting, cosmopolitan life. Encouraged by her father, she left home to pursue a career in international law. That led her to Arizona, where she met and married aerospace engineer Jeff Peters. It wasn’t until 2014, when her grandfather died at age 94 and it became clear that her father might be the last generation to work the family farm, that Peixoto Peters had her “aha” moment. 

“Peixoto was born out of my desire to keep my family legacy in coffee farming alive beyond the life of my parents, along with opening an opportunity for communities in Arizona to experience specialty coffees coming directly and sustainably from the source,” she says. “I grew up watching my family farm coffees and trade in the commodities market, where farmers [didn’t have], and still don’t have, predictability or continuity to sustain their farming model. When my grandfather passed away, I felt called to go back to my roots and find a way to open opportunities for my family and neighboring farmers to sell directly to the consumer market in the U.S., trading their coffees for their worth.”

Together, Peixoto Peters and her husband decided to leave their corporate careers and take a well-researched leap of faith into coffee. They opened their first store in downtown Chandler in 2015; a separate roasting and production facility, also in Chandler, three years later; and a Gilbert location in 2022.

The couple brought the professional expertise they’d acquired to their new roles. Jeff serves as Peixoto’s resident coffee engineer; he created the roasting program, designing the physical roaster and the software at the roasting facility, and ensures it all runs smoothly. Meanwhile, Peixoto Peters makes good on the company’s commitment to transparency, sustainability and quality. She says when customers buy a cup or bag of coffee at Peixoto, they can be sure the farm and farmers producing the coffee are making a sustainable living and that the impact on the land is as minimal as possible.

The same care goes into choosing the non-coffee offerings. Syrups are made in-house and with local ingredients where possible, which is why the seasonal cherry vanilla latte smells and tastes like actual ripe cherries and creamy vanilla, rather than sugary synthetics. Local bakers and pastry chefs provide the fresh treats, and last year, in collaboration with James Beard-nominated baker Mark Chacón, Peixoto debuted CP Coffee and Patisserie in downtown Phoenix. Two counters occupy the airy, high-ceilinged space — one for Peixoto’s coffee drinks, the other for a wide variety of pastries and baked goods, including sandwiches.

“The vision is to bring people to the spirit of our ‘Família Peixoto,’ ” Peixoto Peters says. In Chandler, guests experience the company’s foundational story; in Gilbert, the shop has been carefully designed to reach and serve large volumes of people; and in Phoenix, the partnership with Chacónne Patisserie offers a signature experience in high-quality coffee and patisserie.

Above all, Peixoto Peters wants people to know Peixoto isn’t just a great cup of coffee or cute coffee shop — although it’s certainly both. 

“The Peixoto story goes far and deep to honor a century’s worth of tradition and hard work by my family,” she says. “We want guests to experience my family’s legacy of deep connection to the source. And I really want to connect the community I call home with the community where I grew up.”

A wall in Peixoto’s Gilbert location tells that story simply and beautifully: Three hats hang next to each other, as if they’re watching over the shop. One belonged to Peixoto Peters’ grandfather, one belonged to her father, and the third is Peixoto Peters’ own.