Bittersweet: ‘Bubba Brewing’ founders launch coffee co., ballons to honor late son
By
Monica D. Spencer, Associate Editor
One year after their son died from an aggressive case of peritoneal mesothelioma, Paul and Dora Smith on Saturday launched balloons in his honor outside their home in The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado.
It wasn’t the only launch the family was celebrating. Two weeks earlier, they quietly opened their online coffee business, Bubba Brewing Company, which has so far generated $1,000 in sales.
It’s a business that initially emerged when their son Paul Smith III was recovering from surgery. The former Tortosa resident died last November at age 37.
Candles, flowers and other memorabilia surround a photo of Paul Smith III in his family’s Maricopa home on Dec. 14, 2024. [Monica D. Spencer]“He had said, ‘Mom and Dad, when I get better, I want to have a mobile coffee business,’” Smith told InMaricopa in June. “He wanted to buy a van and sell coffee and books.”
And while the younger Smith wasn’t able to achieve that goal, his parents decided to use the idea to not only keep his legacy alive but also spread awareness of peritoneal mesothelioma and begin building a trust fund for his daughters, their grandchildren.
Smith called the entire experience “therapeutic.”
Paul and Dora Smith stand for a photo in their backyard on Dec. 14, 2024. The pair celebrated two weeks of Bubba Brewing Company’s soft launch, in honor of their son Paul Smith III. [Monica D. Spencer]“This has been very therapeutic for my wife and I,” he said Saturday. “It doesn’t replace him, but to know that it’s keeping his spirit alive, that’s most important to us.”
The website and two of the coffee blends are themed after Paul’s philosophical Instagram account, which garnered more than 42,000 followers when he was alive.
The coffee company currently offers three blends available in whole bean and ground, as well as two blends in K-cup form. The coffee is priced at $17.99, which Smith said includes tax.
Paul Smith holds a package of Bubba Brewing Company coffee on Dec. 14, 2024. The company sells five blends of coffee, available as whole bean, ground and K-cups. [Monica D. Spencer]For locals hoping to purchase a bag or two of beans, Smith said they can contact him directly at 480-938-3308 to place an order for pickup or local delivery or click here for shipping. He said he hopes to begin selling the coffee beans at local farmers markets, including the upcoming Copa Farmers Market which debuts early next month.
Monica D. Spencer, Associate Editor
Monica is InMaricopa's associate editor, covering government, economic development and business for the magazine since 2023. Send news tips to monica@inmaricopa.com.
