Cup Half Empty
Longtime Austin coffee shop closes to make way for condo development
Genuine Joe Coffeehouse made it nearly 20 years in Austin.
The name of a beloved North Austin coffee shop speaks for itself: Genuine Joe Coffeehouse. It’s been on West Anderson Lane for almost 20 years.
“What they bring to the table is a genuine feel, and that’s part of its name for a reason,” said John Griffing, a patron at Genuine Joe.
However, because of a new condo development, the coffee shop had to close its doors for the foreseeable future.
“Some days hit harder than others,” said Josh Brown, who owns Genuine Joe.
The coffee shop has been around since 2005, but Brown stepped in seven years ago as the owner. Before becoming the owner, he was a customer who would go to Genuine Joe to write and play music.
Brown's main priority has been making the coffee shop a safe space for his employees and customers.
“No matter what you believe, the only thing is everyone gets to feel comfortable,” Brown said. “I felt really honored that people felt that this place was important enough and made enough of a difference in their lives.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Genuine Joe used to host multiple community recovery and support groups in the coffee shop every day.
“It was a safe home, and it was a sober place that was also home,” Brown said. “There’s people who wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for what they received here.”
Over the last several years, Brown said it’s been a challenge to make it a stable workplace with the cost of living greatly increasing in Austin. Then in 2021, they found out their land had been sold to build condos.
Since then, the future of Genuine Joe has been unclear. Brown said the coffee shop has been working out month-to-month deals and never had more than six months at a time knowing that they'd be able to hold on.
Back in 2022, the community rallied around the coffee shop, creating a GoFundMe which raised almost $15,000 to help them relocate. Some community members even made documentaries about the impact of the place.
Now years later, developers set a hard demolition date for February. Brown announced on social media last week it was their last day open, and was met with hundreds of emotional comments from customers and friends.
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