March 16, 2022

Hey folks!

We want to clarify some “breaking news” with y’all!

Texas Coffee Traders is not closing!

We are here at E 4th St roasting away, so come on by and have a cup of coffee with us!

Why are people saying you're closing?

In the coming years, we will be moving our headquarters.  We love where we are but with all the development around us, being a manufacturing company in this area poses some challenges. For more information - check out Beth’s blog post below this one!

But what about that article I read?

There have been a couple news articles that have come out talking about the development that is going to take over 1400 E 4th St after we leave. Those articles made it seem like we were going to close when that development happens, which is not the case. We’re just moving a little further east!

But for now, we’re not going anywhere! We’ll keep y’all updated when the time comes. 

If you have any other questions we are here to answer them! M-F 8 to 4.

Thanks and Happy Caffeinating!

Alli

March 14, 2022

This week the first bluebonnets have been seen along the highways of Texas!  Spring is arriving, officially on March 20th, and we are all excited over here at TCT to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

We are now officially open in retail again!   We have decided to keep both the window ordering as well as indoor ordering options open.  Our outside tables space is a great spot to enjoy your coffee drinks, catch up on email or visit with family/friends.  

We are extremely appreciative to our coffee community for supporting us during the up and down of the last two years.  It has not been easy for any of us and having a strong community has made a huge difference.   Our goals are to stay open and grow! 

In the last month there have been a couple of articles in the paper about changes for the Texas Coffee Traders location.   One article in particular sounded like Coffee Traders was no longer here on East 4th. 

First off, we are still here on East 4th. 

When we first purchased our building back in 1996 we envisioned being here on East 4th permanently.  The neighborhood was very different.  We were on our block, the tortilla factory was a couple of blocks down, Habitat for Humanity's resale store was across the corner.  It was a sleepy street and there were no indicators that this would all change. 

Over the last 26 years, however, the neighborhood has changed.  We are now surrounded by development.  That change and growth has come with challenges for a coffee roastery.  We could make a list of the challenges but number one is that the value of this property has created a tax burden that we can no longer bear.

We are coffee roasters.  Coffee roasting, while deeply satisfying and interesting, is not a high profit business.  Over the last few years we have found that most of our profit goes straight to our tax bill and that is just not sustainable.

So, a couple of years ago we made the decision to relocate.  We found a location to purchase that is still in East Austin but zoned for industry and away from development.  We are currently in the process of designing an addition to the building currently there that will take Coffee Traders into the future.

It is very emotional for Rc and I to think of relocating, but we are truly excited about the new space and what it will be like.  It reminds us of “old Austin” in that we have land surrounding the building and it is very quiet.    We are even thinking of having some chickens again along with a big vegetable garden.

Like any building project in Austin, Texas we are waiting for permits before we can build but we hope to have those in the next year. :))

In the meantime, we are right here, on East 4th serving delicious coffee drinks and offering fresh roasted coffee beans. 

We look forward to the future with our coffee community and once again, thank you all for supporting us during the years.  Moving forward!

Beth and Rc

January 1, 2022

Finally! 2022! I don’t remember a time when we have been so happy to see a year be over, except maybe 2020. :)

Rc and I were talking about all the challenges of 2021 yesterday and looking back, it seems that we packed about 5 years into 1. We began the year with a Covid surge and ended the year with another. Montana Coffee Traders and Texas Coffee Traders both had times when we didn’t have enough staff, due to illness and quarantines, to even open our business.  

The supply chain issues are real and the price of coffee and everything else has gone up exponentially. It’s a lot for businesses to successfully maneuver and honestly the words ``pivot” and “resilience” will forever bring up memories of this time in our lives and how each day was different than the one before. Understanding that each day would bring new challenges that require creativity and the ability to adapt quickly has kept us moving forward.

The ability to quickly adapt is one skill we have learned to lean into, and all the while what keeps us excited and positive about the day is our community.

Starting with our community of employees who came to work every day ready to do the research to find products in a market with shortages. Folx who got excited about creating new drink menus and talking about the new coffees and products with our customers even if it was sometimes through a window. Those employees who figured out how to engage customers through a mask and give that extra care during a time when folx are tired of challenges and just want the familiar. This is what we worked to give and we are forever grateful to our staff for providing that and working on ways to keep it fun.

We are so grateful to our community of customers who stuck with us and even helped us adjust by offering ideas, encouragement, and friendly faces. A coffee shop is a community center. It is where you hear what is happening in the neighborhood, town, world. Folx that don’t normally hang out together do so at a coffee shop. Having such a strong and loyal customer community allowed for folx to have a spot to connect when so many things were shut down and we are enormously grateful to this Coffee Trader group.

Opening and closing, back and forth for the last two years has not been great for business. High prices and supply chain issues are not great for business. Lack of employees is not great for business. Illness throughout the company is not great for our employees and it is also not great for business. We are grateful to those folx who recognize this and work hard to keep our community safe and healthy. Bottomline, we need to get healthy again and at Coffee Traders we commit to doing whatever it takes to get there.

2022 can be a wonderful year but there are some things that we need to get past. We can do that.  We look forward to seeing you all at the window sometimes and inside sometimes, depending on the current conditions. Either way we will do our best to create a great experience and we look forward to sharing stories, news and coffee knowledge with you.

Much gratitude to you all, looking forward,

Rc and Beth

December 20, 2021

Hello everyone!

We hope all of you are ready for a wonderful holiday and that you all are staying safe!

This week at Texas Coffee Traders we have had quite a few of our staff test positive for Covid 19. Currently we are still “open” but we are working with much reduced staff.

We have gone back to window only for our retail shop. Please call Service at 512-476-1437 if you need a service tech to meet you outside for machine drop.

We look forward to a time when our staff is fully healthy and we can once again provide the timely customer service we look forward to offering.

In the meantime we ask for everyone’s patience and understanding.

Have a wonderful holiday and we are looking forward to 2022!

Beth and Rc

November 24, 2021

Hello Friends!

We are so excited that the holiday season is finally here!  Our weather hasn’t  given us many hints that it is that time of year yet, but holiday lights and decorations are popping up all over.

Here at Coffee Traders we have been working hard to stock up on items that should be on any coffee lover’s wish list.  We have new mugs, t-shirts, brewing devices and accessories for all of those folx who enjoy coffee and tea and fun ways to brew!

This year Rc and I would like to thank all of our customers and community for supporting Coffee Traders throughout the years.  The last year and a half have been particularly challenging and we are so grateful to each and every one of you for joining in this journey.  You all have consistently adapted to the changes in service and hours and “supply chain shortage” issues we have experienced and continue to experience and you have done it with grace.  A most sincere thanks to all of you.

Please take care of yourselves and each other and we hope everyone has plenty of coffee in the house.  Enjoy!

Beth and Rc Beall

October 8, 2021

Fall!  Though our days are not exactly cool quite yet, the mornings are nice and I’ve noticed that lots more folx are sitting outside at the tables enjoying their drinks while checking their emails.  Our fall drink menu is in full swing and there is Halloween candy for anyone who wants a sweet treat.

I am looking forward to fall this year and in-person Thanksgiving with our families!  Austin looks to be heading to a Stage 3 level of COVID 19 guidance which is really positive. We remain a mask required retail space since we have vulnerable employees as well as customers who we want to keep protecting until the “all clear” is given by the health department and scientists in charge of fact based information.  So far (knock on wood) these steps have worked really well for TCT and we have not had the sporadic open and close that some companies have gone through due to quarantining.

What else?  The new shipment of Monteverde has arrived at the Annex in California and we are excited!   We should have our first shipment in Austin later this month. We have received new home brew tools as well, as we begin to stock up for the holidays.  Come by and check them out.

Enjoy the season and hope to see you soon!

Beth and Rc Beall

August 13, 2021

Welcome to the “dog days” of summer!  With temperatures steadily rising, we find cold drinks like our delicious cold brewed coffee or specialty iced teas to be just the thing to get through these hot days!

Unfortunately along with the heat and the challenges that brings (our roast room is literally roasting), we are also experiencing a record increase in COVID 19 cases in our area.  As of this morning, there are only 2 ICU beds available in our 11 county area and that is certainly troubling.

We learned during the last spike to put our masks on, socially distance and wash our hands frequently.  Not a big ask, so once again we have added the requirement of masks on if in our building.  This is for all folx, not just those that aren’t vaccinated.  

We are so appreciative of our community of customers.  Thank you all for understanding and focusing on the positives of the day instead of small inconveniences.  Great coffee, fun conversation, soft serve ice cream!  

Looking forward to cooler temperatures!  See you at the shop!

Beth and R.C.

June 24, 2021

Happy Summer Everyone!

A whole lot has happened here at TCT in the last 4 weeks. The biggest thing is that we are now open, inside the shop!

We still have window service for those who just want to grab a quick coffee drink or pick up online orders but come on in and check out the new space! It looks different but we think y’all are going to enjoy the new look.

We hope folx are following the CDC guidance on face masks. Those who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear masks but those who haven’t received their vaccines yet should stick with the face masking. We are the mask police but we ask that folx protect their neighbors and families and mask up.

It is hot! We have some great seasonal cold coffee drinks that hit the spot on a very hot day and as always we have delicious iced teas both caffeinated and not.

Take care of yourselves, enjoy the summer and we can’t wait to see y’all again!

Beth and Rc

May 23, 2021

Happy spring and almost summer!

We are excited to look out our window and see flowers on the fence line and so much green!

We are also excited with the Covid numbers in Austin, TX. and the guidance the CDC is posting.

We are planning on reopening part of the shop on Monday, June 7th.  We are busy reworking the space so that folx can come in, purchase beans and drinks and either take them to go or sit outside under the tent and enjoy the open air!  We are going to keep our pick up window open for those who prefer a bit of distance and hey, that is truly okay!

We ask that customers continue to wear masks in the building and at the window.  The CDC guidance says that if someone is fully vaccinated the rules are not so stringent but we aren’t the mask police so masks up please.  We hope that soon more people will be fully vaccinated so that the guidance will change but no worries, it’s just a mask and by now we all know how to wear one.  :)

We are excited to see you all in the shop again!  Take care and please get vaccinated.

Beth and Rc

April 23, 2021

Hello!

Things are looking up in Austin, Texas ! Rc and I are excited to be fully vaccinated and the staff at TCT is almost done. What a relief for everyone!

As we reach the level of vaccination that the CDC considers a safe level, we will be opening some of inside retail space so that folx can come in and get their beans or drinks. It’s going to look a little different and we are excited for the changes we are making and hope that everyone enjoys the new layout as well.

There are a couple of reasons for the changes. The first is that over the last year, we have moved some of our sales staff into what used to be the back third of the retail shop. It has been a great area for them to spread out and also to be available for sales questions that come up in our shop during the day.

The second reason is because the spread out space is safer and allows us to keep a 6 foot distance between workstations and until we are given the “all clear” from the CDC this is the best configuration.

We look forward to this happening in the near future, and can’t wait to have folx in our shop again. For those who want to avoid coming into sites, we get it, and we are going to keep our pick up window running for drinks, beans and pastries!

We have so much gratitude to everyone who has adjusted with us this year as we figured out how to provide great customer service without any contact.

Looking forward to safe and healthy spring/summer! See you soon!

Beth and Rc

March 13, 2021

Hello all!

One year ago today Rc and I sent out a note to the Coffee Trader customers explaining our plan for staying safe during a pandemic that at that time we knew very little about.  We knew that it was contagious, that it had the potential to be deadly and that we were susceptible due to our constant contact with the public.  

When we talked about and wrote the letter, we thought maybe we would be serving from a window, wearing masks and keeping a distance for a month or two?  LOL.  One year later and our protocols have become commonplace and we continue to roast, bag, make drinks, etc. while serving from our pick up window, shipping boxes of coffee across the U.S. and delivering coffee to our cafe and restaurant accounts.

This year has taught us a lot and shown what we can accomplish as a team.  We learned that a face mask is not a big ask.  If it keeps us safe and our customers safe, then why wouldn’t we wear it?  The health department requires us to wash our hands regularly and especially after tasks that might cause cross contamination.  That health rule has been in place for years and we don’t rail against it.  Why would we?  Just like washing our hands, face masks haven’t been our issue this year because they are common sense.

We have learned a lot about versatility and changing quickly so that we can provide great customer service in new and different ways.  We have online calls in order to show folx how to reinstall water filters, videos on different methods of brewing coffee while working from home, virtual tours of the coffee farms in Costa Rica.  We have learned how to have engaging conversations and provide delicious drinks through a window!  

Speaking of new ideas, if you are going to attend SXSW this year in its virtual format, how about enjoying a box of coffee to enjoy while watching.

https://www.texascoffeetraders.com/monthly-boxes/sxsw-box

The ability to pivot and provide great service in unique formats has been essential and Rc and I are ever grateful to the group at Coffee Traders for their creativity and commitment to keeping it safe and fun.

We want to thank all of the customer community that have supported us during this year and we look forward to the changes this year will bring once we can safely reopen. We are so close!!  Rc is fairly chomping at the bit and as soon as we are reopened get ready for that energy. :)))

Until we can all be vaccinated and the CDC says it is safe to fully open, we will be serving from our very cool pick up window.  Our tables and chairs are set up and under a tent so that you can sit and enjoy your delicious coffee drink in the open air.  

Take care folx, mask up (required at Coffee Traders) and get a vaccine when you can.  

Beth and Rc

March 4, 2021

Welcome to March!

It is hard to believe that two weeks ago we were being buried in snow here in Austin. Today it is 65 and sunny!

Today the Governor of Texas announced that he would be lifting the face mask ban here in Texas starting Wednesday, March 10th. The goal is to get Texas 100 percent open. His statement was that those businesses that "want to open" can do that.

Rc and I both applaud the idea of getting fully open. We cannot wait to see everyone inside our shop tasting, talking, enjoying delicious freshly roasted coffee. That is the goal for sure! In other words, we "want to open".

The issue, for us, is the lack of vaccinations for our staff. The CDC has requested that everyone stays vigilant for at least another 12 to 16 weeks so that the variants are stopped and so we don't start this whole thing over again.

We are 10 percent vaccinated here in the Austin area which is a great start but not anywhere near "herd immunity". As a business owner that wants to open our shop, we want our staff and family to be safe even more.

Our face mask rule here at Coffee Traders remains the same. Please put on your face mask before placing your order at our drink window. If you prefer to have beans delivered that works too! Our online ordering is super easy and we will happily box up and send your order to your home or office.

Thanks for the business and we look forward to a healthy and safe spring!

Mask up folxs!

Beth and Rc

February 15, 2021

Well, our world keeps surprising us. Today we woke up to over a half a foot of snow here in Austin, Texas. At the same time over 40% of the homes and businesses in Austin were and still are without power. It is currently 23 degrees at 2 p.m. today with an expected overnight low of 7 degrees. Whoa, we have some challenges.

Needless to say, we are currently closed at Texas Coffee Traders and hope to open again on Wednesday but we will have to wait and see. Right now we don’t have any power in our building so that is the first requirement to get open again. Fingers crossed that this storm decides to leave and Austin can begin to thaw out.

For those in other parts of the country, this might seem confusing. Further north or east or northwest, towns don’t have to shut down during winter cold. Austin, Texas is not equipped for cold because we don’t have it. There is no sand or salt or snow plows or any of the items needed to make this easier and unfortunately our systems that supply electricity to our homes and businesses are obviously not winter proof either. So, we are “staying in place” again and bundling up in lieu of heat.

We hope each and every one of you are staying safe and can be warm. Drinking hot coffee helps a lot! Maybe an outside firepit with a cowboy kettle? Take care, wear your face mask please! It not only keeps you safe from the coronavirus, but it is actually warming as well!

Peace,

Beth and Rc

January 25, 2021

Rc and I both hope that everyone had a peaceful, relaxing holiday season. We are very grateful for the wonderful support we have received from our community with so many holiday package orders! There was a lot of coffee being enjoyed this year and we are very appreciative.

Austin remains in the Phase 5 restrictions and that means that no change over here. We are still roasting coffee daily and serving coffee/tea drinks out of our Drink Window. We have fresh baked goods from Easy Tiger and all the alternative milk choices that you might want to try. We are still window only and look forward to seeing everyone’s half faces!

It is still a great way to pick up your bean orders. Just follow this link - Order Here - and we will email you when you order is ready.

Our hope is that this year is an end to the pandemic, a time when we can safely be together again and more calm, less worry. We are truly grateful to the support we receive from our community and look forward to the future. Take care, mask up.

Rc and Beth

December 26, 2020

Good morning and happy holidays!

Rc and I want to take the opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for your business, your loyalty and for working with us this year as we tweak our services so that we stay safe and in compliance while providing our customers with freshly roasted coffee.

It has been challenging and scary sometimes, but all the while we have really appreciated the well wishes, ideas, suggestions and participation from our coffee community.  

We are taking off the weekend of Christmas so that our staff has a chance visit with their families, rest, recharge and be ready for a busy week before the New Year. We hope all of you have moments of rest and renewal as well.

Thank you again for supporting us and enjoying our coffee!

Looking forward to 2021.

Rc and Beth

May 25, 2020

THE TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS WINDOW!

We are so thrilled to welcome y’all back!

While our red door will remain closed for the safety of our team, we have created a new window front through which we will again be able to lovingly hand off your coffee to you.

We welcome walk-ups for drinks and beans, and you can also order ahead online for a pick-up. For those who wish to stay home or are not able to make it down to our warehouse here on East 4th, we will continue shipping out orders as well.

To ensure the safety of our team and customers, masks are required, as well as staying at least 6 feet apart as recommended by the CDC. Our hours for window service are Monday through Friday, 8AM to 4PM, and we will continue to roast the coffee fresh.

Again, THANK YOU for y’all’s support through this time. We can’t wait to see you!

April 30, 2020

A WORK IN PROGRESS.

Hey' y’all!

THANK YOU for y’all’s continued support through our online retail store by ordering your favorite coffees for delivery. It is because of loyal customers like you that we are able to weather this crisis.

We miss seeing you all in person and look forward to being able to do that again in the near future.  At Coffee Traders, our goal remains to have a safe environment to roast, package, and serve delicious fresh coffee, so we decided to not yet open to the public.

It’s important that we all all continue to help in the process of flattening the curve by staying at home as much as possible, wearing masks, etc.  

We anticipate opening in the next couple of weeks once our new safety procedures are in place.  We want to respect the sacrifices our community has made in staying safe and not undo the work already done.

When the doctors and scientists say it is safe, we will open with a brand new walk up window in front of the shop where we can serve drinks and provide coffee beans, teas, etc. safely while still having the opportunity to see each other and share stories.

With the uncertainty of this virus, we have focused our reopening on creating a new method of selling that will be able to remain open safely should we be required to shelter in place once again.

It will be a “work in progress” and we will welcome comments and suggestions!

See you all soon and we will keep you posted on when we start.  In the meantime, our online shop is busy and ready for your order! We will continue to roast and ship our coffees out to y’all.

March 30, 2020

This week, RC and I made a choice that no business owners would ever want to make.  We walked through our roastery and retail shop and realized that we could not safely protect the members of our team from a virus that no one knows much about.

Our company is 100% about providing the best customer service that we can along with great products, delicious freshly roasted coffee and wonderful drinks.  Not being able to personally provide an extraordinary experience goes against our customer service DNA.  Not taking the steps to protect our team, however, would go against our fundamental core value of providing the best service and leadership to our employees. 

We decided to temporarily lay off 90% of our staff using the disaster mass layoff available through the TWF.  We did it because we couldn’t guarantee our team’s safety and we wanted to make sure that everyone would be paid, receive benefits, and could go home and practice social distancing as we are being told to do.

We are still roasting & shipping coffee M-F 

So, now what?  The staff that is still working at TCT  is busy roasting coffee like crazy right now in order to keep up with the online orders coming in from customers who still want beans and have traded a visit to our shop with a visit from UPS.  We plan on continuing to offer this online service for the duration of the “pause” and hope that everyone will stay home and order your favorite coffee through our website at www.texascoffeetraders.com.

There are still some cafes and groceries who are open in new formats that we supply beans to and we will continue to do that, as well.

We miss everyone!  We miss our customers, our community, and we miss our team.  We are a family (literally) and it is hard to think about not being together to share this time as a group.  Hopefully, this distancing and business pause will help stop the growth curve of this horrid illness and soon we can hug again.  In the meantime,  please continue ordering your favorite coffees - we will  roast and ship them right out.  Thank you for your loyalty and understanding.

Beth and RC Beall

March 18, 2020

WE’LL GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.

We at Coffee Traders want to thank everyone for working with us during the rapidly changing COVID -19 environment.  As always, we appreciate and are grateful for your loyalty as we navigate the current health situation in our community. 

Our mission at Coffee Traders is simple.  “To be a positive part of people’s everyday lives” and this remains our number one priority.  Being extra cautious and following the guidance that have been issued by the CDC as well as local health authorities and our own industry standards, we have changed some of our protocols. 

Actions that we are taking

We are taking the Coronavirus COVID-19 very seriously.  We already follow the Food Safety Laws which go a long way in ensuring that we serve coffee and our grab and go foods in a clean and safe way.  As we do everyday, we make sure to follow all of the standard operating procedures regarding sanitation.

We are also following the guidance that has been issued by the CDC concerning additional systems to be added to establishments open to the public as well as the local health authority guidance regarding food, food handling and safety.

Practices

• Clean and sanitize thoroughly throughout the day.  Reinforced and heightened protocol on all of our sanitation efforts.

• Training and education of our staff on prevention, as provided by the CDC.

• Posted informational sheets provided by the local health authorities and CDC.

• Handwash!!  Strict handwashing guidelines.  Post visual instructions and remind about 20 second rule.  Sing Happy Birthday twice or the choruses of most songs.

New Practices

• Suspension of ceramics, reusable and cups or tableware that must be washed.  For the duration of the COVID – 19 restrictions we will be using paper cups.

• Self-serve will be suspended for the duration.  Please allow us to serve your cream, cold brew, sugars, etc.

• Our delivery drivers are sanitizing our trucks after every run.  We have an in-house team of delivery drivers and their health is our top priority.  We feel very confident in the measures we have taken to provide a safe product in a safe way.

• Hand sanitizers in all vans for our drivers to use between deliveries.

• All hard surfaces in our retail and production facility will be heavily sanitized every two hours.  Timers are set to go off when it is time to clean.

• No hand shaking but we have lots of other ways to say hello!  Should we reinstate bowing?  Foot tap, elbow shake…….

Over the years we have become a part of the community of Austin and we know so many of our customers personally.  We will get through this together.  We look forward to seeing each of you daily and sharing our stories, good news as well as bad, ideas and cups of coffee!  Want to order by phone or online? Call 512-476-2279, place an order at www.texascoffeetraders.com, or write us in on your Favor App and have a cup brought to your door!

RC, Beth and the Bean Team