Celebrity Pop-Up

3 Austin coffee spots join national homage to Gilmore Girls

A pop-up event in Austin will summon Lorelei and Rory Gilmore.

Photo courtesy of Gilmore Girls/CW

As a ramp-up to the Netflix revival of '00s TV show Gilmore Girls, three Austin coffee shops will host one-day pop-ups in which they briefly recreate the spirit of Luke's Diner.

The so-called pop-ups will take place on October 5, as part of a national event where more than 200 diners across the country will give out free coffee from 7 am to noon, channeling the Gilmore Girls' set-piece.

The event seems to consist mainly of free coffee, with custom sleeves on the cups that share promotional info. Baristas will wear Luke's Diner aprons and T-shirts. Fans of the show can congregate and salivate over the imminent return of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which will premiere on Netflix on November 25. The entire series was released on Netflix in July.

Just the opportunity to go and get a cup of coffee at Luke's Diner, even a temporary one that is really only virtual, will be exciting. Plus, photo opp.

The Austin coffee shops participating include:

Vintage Heart Coffee
Summermoon Coffee Bar
Caffe Medici downtown

It's an unusual collection of shops that seems to be chosen mostly by their indie status, and by their location, with shops in key cities across the country. A total of 14 coffee shops in Texas will join the event.

According to one shop employee who asked not to be named, the stores were given a minimum amount of information about how the event would unfurl, and participating employees were required to sign nondisclosure agreements.

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Tastes Like Profit

Tasteful Austin ice cream shop starts crowdfunding to scoop up new cities

Lick Honest Ice Creams/Instagram

Lick Honest Ice Creams already has shops in four Texas cities, but it wants more.

We're not sure how many licks it takes to get to a popular Austin ice cream shop into new markets, but a crowdfunding campaign gives fans a chance to find out.

Lick Honest Ice Creams, known for interesting, mature flavors (without getting too serious), has launched a campaign via MicroVentures that will allow onlookers a chance to support the business with small investments of $100 or more. Ice cream never goes out of style, and the company is hoping to appeal not just to repeat customers, but anyone who thinks the sweet treat has growth potential.

Although this could be a long-term holding, the root idea is to eventually trade back the stake for a financial gain once the company has grown. In less than two days (since the campaign launched on September 28), Lick has already sold stakes worth more than $66,000 from 90 investors.

“This isn’t just an investment in terms of capital," said CEO Anthony Sobotik in a news release. "It’s an opportunity to own a piece of your favorite ice cream shop, shared memories, and a piece of Lick’s future. By investing, you’re supporting our dream and commitment to spread the Lick experience further, enabling Lick to support family-owned farms in a more significant way, and ensuring more people can truly know what they’re licking."

The ice cream shop has been in Austin since its inception in 2012, and now operates three stores in the area, plus stores in San Antonio, Houston, and College Station. The total store count is currently at eight, with a ninth coming to Houston's Autry Park "soon," according to the website. The release states intentions to use the crowdfunding to "build more scoop shops and expand into new markets," but does not specify which cities the brand is eyeing, or even if they are in Texas or farther away.

Some of the flavors pay homage to their Texas roots, like "Caramel Salt Lick," "Hill Country Honey & Vanilla Bean," and "Texas Sheet Cake." It is easy to see where ingredients come from, as suppliers are listed on the menu. Seasonal flavors right now include creative twists like "Back Porch Iced Tea" and "Fig & Fromage," sticking to Lick's script of interesting and local ingredients. The menu also includes a small number of dairy-free flavors.

“From our first scoop shop opening in 2011 to where Lick is now, it’s been an extraordinary journey. We’ve now served over a million scoops, and with each one, we’ve shared our commitment to and love for thoughtfully crafted, ethically, and sustainably-sourced and produced ice cream,” said Sobotik.

“But beyond just charming your taste buds, our flavors tell stories," he continued. "Those are the stories of favorite dishes, the family and friends we shared them with, and the farmers we work with. It’s a special connection that ice cream grants us, and it’s what really makes this our story, not just Lick’s story.”

More information and links to contribute to the campaign are available at microventures.com.

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