Today we’d like to introduce you to Randal Pemberton.
Randal, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Zero Point Roasters really started as a hobby. I got interested in roasting coffee at home and wanted to see if I could make something fresher and better than what I was used to buying. I started experimenting with small batches, different beans, and roast levels, and before long I was sharing it with friends and family.
The more I got into it, the more I wanted to turn it into something real. Being a veteran, I wanted the business to reflect the way I like to do things, pay attention to the details, do it right, and take pride in the end result.
What I enjoy most is that coffee isn’t a one-size-fits-all product. Different beans, origins, and roast profiles bring out completely different flavors. With Zero Point Roasters, I get to explore those differences and offer customers freshly roasted coffee that I’ve personally spent time developing.
My goal is to build a brand people can trust, where quality and attention to detail come before everything else. I’ve been working on growing Zero Point Roasters here in the Houston area, sharing my coffee with customers, and building the online side of the business. It’s still a very hands-on, small-batch operation, and that’s something I take pride in. I want people to know that when they buy coffee from Zero Point Roasters, they’re getting something that was roasted with care.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’ve learned a lot along the way. One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to roast consistently and get the results I’m looking for from batch to batch. There’s a lot more to coffee than just putting beans in a roaster. Temperature, airflow, timing, and even small adjustments throughout the roast can completely change the final product.
I’ve also had my share of equipment problems, which has meant spending time troubleshooting, making repairs, and figuring out how to get things working the way I need them to. It can be frustrating, but I actually enjoy that side of it. I’ve always been someone who likes understanding how things work and finding ways to make them better.
Recently, my wife showed me a video she had taken of me while I was roasting. I was just standing there in deep thought, watching the roast and going through everything in my head. That pretty much sums up how I approach it. I’m constantly evaluating what’s happening, thinking about what I could do differently, and looking for ways to improve the next batch.
There’s also been a learning curve on the business side. Finding good green coffee, building a brand, designing packaging, setting up a website, figuring out pricing, and getting the name out there are all things I’ve had to learn along the way. Roasting coffee is one thing, but turning that passion into an actual business is an entirely different challenge.
I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is patience. Not everything works the first time, and sometimes you have to go back to the drawing board. I’m still learning, and I probably always will be. But that’s part of what I enjoy about it. I’d rather take my time, do things the right way, and build something that lasts than rush the process just to grow faster.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I currently work as a government contractor. A lot of what I do involves problem solving, process improvement, research, production, quality control, and figuring out how to make things work better and more consistently.
Before that, I spent 13 years in the Army and National Guard, including three deployments to Iraq. That experience definitely shaped how I approach work. I tend to pay attention to the details, look for ways to improve a process, and I’m usually not satisfied with something just because “that’s the way it’s always been done.”
One of the things I’m most proud of in my current career is helping take programs and processes from an idea to something that actually works in the real world. I’ve helped develop procedures, improve production methods, build better tracking systems, support research, and solve problems when things didn’t go as planned.
I think what sets me apart is that I genuinely enjoy figuring things out. Whether it’s at work, roasting coffee, or working on something in the garage, I’m usually asking the same questions: What’s working? What can I improve? And how can I make the end result better?
That mindset has carried over directly into Zero Point Roasters.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My wife and daughter deserve a lot of the credit for where Zero Point is today. My wife was actually the one who pushed me to turn it into a business. I had been roasting coffee, experimenting, and working on the process, and she finally told me it was time to start pushing it, expand, and show people what real, fresh-roasted coffee can taste like.
My daughter is a huge source of motivation for me too. She’s been through two heart surgeries and continues to thrive, play sports, and keep moving forward. Watching her handle everything she’s been through puts a lot into perspective for me.
Even the slogan, “Always On Point,” came from one of my military brothers. It fit the brand immediately because it ties together where I came from, the attention to detail I try to put into every roast, and the standard I want Zero Point to represent.
I may do most of the roasting, but Zero Point has really been built with a lot of support from the people around me. Family, friends, customers, and local businesses have all played a part in helping it grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zeropointroasters.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeropointroasters/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ZeroPointRoasters
