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Rutgers alumnus Eric LeGrand to open LeGrand Coffee House in Woodbridge, NJ

Eric LeGrand, a Rutgers alumnus and former defensive tackle for the Scarlet Knights, said he wants to continue to inspire people and bring them together with LeGrand Coffee House.  – Photo by LeGrandCoffeeHouse.com

Eric LeGrand, a Rutgers alumnus and former defensive tackle for the Scarlet Knights, got the idea back in summer 2020 to start his own business, LeGrand Coffee House, and will be opening his first storefront in Woodbridge, New Jersey this summer after the success of his online shop.

“(I wanted to) just plan my next move after everything got shut down, and I was listening to the audiobook called ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight, who was the creator of Nike, and it just inspired me to want to start my own business, and an opportunity presented itself in my downtown area of Woodbridge,” he said.

LeGrand said one of the main goals of his business is to create an atmosphere that is inviting and comfortable for everyone. 

“Coffee, comfort and satisfaction. That’s what we’re striving on,” he said “We want people to come in that need that cup of coffee — that little boost, that little pick me up — and we want them to feel comfortable and enjoy the vibe of the place.”

Despite not trying his first cup of coffee until August 2020, LeGrand said he has always loved the idea of cafes and wanted to create his own where he can unify the community and bring people together.

After he suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury in 2010 during a football game, LeGrand said he has since become a source of inspiration for many people, and said he now wants to channel this sense of motivation into his coffee shop.

“When people look to me they say I'm an inspiration — (a) motivation, now if they drink my coffee … they can think about me every time they take a sip of my coffee,” LeGrand said. “We call it our ‘daily cup of bELieve.’”

He said his business currently offers three varieties of coffee, which are the Costa Rica, Guatemala and Sumatra blends. LeGrand said the Costa Rica blend has been the best seller so far.

Additionally, he said the coffees are all single-origin roasts, meaning they are the highest quality and do not mix different blends together or add in chemicals to enhance the natural flavor. LeGrand said in the future they will likely add different blends, but for now, he enjoys the single-origin roasts.

“The buzz around this whole idea has been amazing so I’m definitely taking a leap of faith, but hopefully within six months to the first year, we’ll be able to have full capacity,” he said.

Overall, LeGrand hopes to continue inspiring and motivating others as well as bring the community together through LeGrand Coffee House. 

“I’m probably the first former African American athlete with a spinal cord injury that owns his own coffee shop,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what color your skin is, all different shapes and sizes, (with) ability or disability. I feel like my place will be welcoming to all.”


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