Merit Coffee Expands in Austin: New Mueller Café to Open February 14 at 1900 Aldrich Street
Merit Coffee Company, a Texas specialty coffee roaster known for its community-driven cafés and fresh-roasted beans, is expanding once again in the capital city. The family-owned brand will open its fourth Austin café on Saturday, February 14, in the vibrant Mueller neighborhood at 1900 Aldrich St, Ste. 100, Austin, TX 78723.
For East Austin residents and visitors who frequent Mueller’s walkable town center, the arrival of Merit Coffee adds another locally rooted option for specialty coffee in Austin. The new café is designed to reflect the creativity and energy that define Mueller — a neighborhood known for its mix of families, young professionals, local businesses, and community-focused organizations.
“Austin has embraced the Merit café experience from day one,” said Bill Ellis, CEO of Merit Coffee. “Our South Lamar, Seaholm, and Triangle cafés continue to thrive in their respective neighborhoods, and now we're excited to share our hospitality on the east side of the city for the very first time.”
A Texas Coffee Brand with Deep Roots
Founded in San Antonio in 2009, Merit Coffee has grown from a single café and roastery into a beloved Texas coffee brand with 14 locations across San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. Despite its growth, the company remains family-owned and operated — a distinction that shapes its culture and customer experience.
Merit’s fresh-roasted specialty coffee is also available statewide through major grocery partners including H-E-B, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, and Central Market, making it a recognizable name for many Texas households. Still, the heart of the brand remains inside its cafés.
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Since its founding, Merit has operated on a simple idea: better coffee, shared in community. Its cafés are intentionally designed as welcoming spaces where customers can work remotely, catch up with friends, hold casual meetings, or simply pause in the middle of a busy day.
From Farm to Mueller: The Story Behind the Cup
What sets Merit Coffee apart in the competitive Austin coffee scene is its hands-on sourcing and roasting process. The company’s team travels to farms in Central and South America and Africa to build direct relationships with growers, taste harvests, and select limited, high-quality coffees — often from small lots or specific sections of a farm.
Those beans make their way back to Texas, where they are roasted in Merit's 9,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. The roasting team continually tests, cups, and refines each batch to bring out its best expression before it ever reaches a customer’s cup.
It’s a level of detail that most coffee drinkers never see, but one that defines the Merit Coffee experience in Austin and beyond.
A Café Built for Community in Mueller
The new Mueller coffee shop aims to complement the neighborhood’s pedestrian-friendly layout and strong sense of community. Like its sister cafés, the Mueller location will feature a barista-led experience centered on hospitality and connection.
Merit describes its team members as more than skilled coffee professionals — they’re neighbors who learn names, remember orders, and invest in the daily rhythms of the community. That philosophy is symbolized by the brand’s lantern logo, representing its mission to be a bright spot in customers’ days.
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The Mueller grand opening celebration on February 14 will include drink specials, giveaways, and an opportunity for guests to experience the café firsthand.
For East Austin residents who love discovering a great neighborhood coffee spot, February 14 marks the arrival of another locally rooted option in Mueller’s growing food and beverage scene.
As Merit Coffee continues its Texas expansion, the opening at 1900 Aldrich Street signals more than just another café. For many in Mueller, it’s another gathering place — one built around thoughtfully sourced coffee, familiar faces, and moments worth slowing down for.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.