The short answer is “our daughter” and “Bug” is her nickname.  The origin of that nickname and the spirit  behind our company and family is far more significant and means that each cup is roasted with love and pride.

Dennis and Tara Cheatham have always enjoyed working together, whether it be on the soccer field, running their fitness facility together, or being Mom and Dad to their daughter.  When Dennis’ passion for a good cup of coffee turned into a business idea, they knew the brand and name they chose would need to embody the importance of family, love, and believing in something greater than yourself.

With an entrepreneurial spirit and contagious enthusiasm, not to mention her love for coffee at an unusually young age, naming the company after their daughter seemed an obvious choice, so Josephine’s Roasters was born.  

Years before the Cheatham’s had their “Bug” there was another ladybug who took up residence in the family home of Tara’s grandparents.  The home where their family gathered for holidays and special occasions became a place of even greater meaning when, shortly after the loss of the Cheatham’s beloved grandfather, a single and persistent ladybug appeared in the place where he passed away and simply would not leave. Day after day, Tara’s grandmother would take the lady bug outside only to find it back inside the next day.  

Years and miles separated the family, but one thing held them together – the appearance of lady bugs. The ladybug not only became the family’s way of remembering their grandpa, but also reassurance that everything was going to be okay, as these ladybug sightings often happened in places that ladybugs just didn’t belong, and usually coincided with some tough times. 

Almost 9 years later, the family was faced with another tough time, as it was Grandma’s time to leave this world. Grandma was surrounded by her family and a hospice nurse to guide the family through this difficult time. It eventually came time for the nurse’s car to be moved, and Tara’s Dad offered to move her car. He took the keys of the hospice nurse to move the car. When he opened the nurse’s car door and slid into the driver’s seat, he couldn’t believe the interior of the car. Ladybug seat covers, ladybug steering wheel cover, ladybug floor mats, ladybug ornament hanging from the rearview mirror…ladybugs everywhere. Tara’s Dad knew at that moment that Grandpa had come to bring Grandma home.

A few months later, Tara’s Aunt and Uncle were gathering some old VHS family videos with Grandma and Grandpa to have compiled into an updated format for the entire family. Needless to say, there were some tears, and when the video woman came to the house to pick up the videos, some of those tears were still flowing. The video woman walked into the house in a long black and white polka-dotted dress. Some stories were shared, but it wasn’t until Tara’s Aunt handed the videos to the outstretched hand of the woman that she noticed her bracelet. Yep, you guessed it. A trail of ladybugs etched out of metal wrapped around her wrist. And…that black and white “polka-dotted” dress was not polka-dotted at all. Those dots were actually  tons of tiny ladybugs printed on her dress.

A little bit crazy, isn’t it?

The Cheatham’s carried the ladybug theme into the nursery later the following year when Josephine was born, and somewhere along the way, she became known as “Bug”. 

We all have people and moments in our life that hold a special place in our hearts. The ladybug is a symbol for us to remember and celebrate these moments. So as you open your bag of coffee each morning and see the ladybug our “Bug” has stamped herself,  take a moment to reflect on the “Ladybug” moments in your life, and smile with a heart full of gratitude.