Folks down south will soon get a taste of one of Austin’s iconic cafes when Progress Coffee + Beer brings its signature brews to a new space in the growing town of Buda on August 25. This new hangout space aims to attract lovers of coffee, food, and even cocktails, charming with its two decades of experience as a cult favorite farther north.
Progress Coffee + Beer opened its doors in 2004 as a small cafe located in East Austin, specializing in small-batch coffee and cocktails. After all that time (and some years of not having a public physical space), this will be the coffee shop’s first location out of town, and only its second brick-and-mortar anywhere.
Progress co-founder James Benson said that after many friends and family members moved south it made sense for them to follow, and that everyone is excited to be part of the new community.
“We hoped we would be well received and the positive response has already exceeded our expectations since word got out. Some of our staff live, or have family, in the area so they're excited to bring something like this closer, which makes us happy to be a part of,” says Benson in correspondence with CultureMap.
The new location will continue with Progress Coffee and Beer’s commitment to fostering community with a large, family- and dog-friendly patio, indoor space with large TVs, and a walk-up window with grab-and-go items.
Besides the signature coffee, locally roasted in Progress’ flagship store in Austin, there will be a full bar with local beer, wine, and cocktails their patrons know and love, plus new drinks specifically crafted for the Buda location.
The fun doesn’t stop there, because what is an Austin coffee shop without its partnering food trucks? On the spacious patio, Gebby’s BBQ and taco truck Pueblo Viejo will offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Progress will also serve all-day menu items from beloved local bakery Easy Tiger.
“The Buda location will have more of a ‘home’ feel that begins with the cabin-like exterior and flows through the furniture and decor,” says Benson. “We will still have a similar rounded stone and wood bar, but will also have couches and comfortable booths.”
Events at the Buda location will include “Geeks Who Drink” trivia nights every Wednesday and live music every Thursday to Sunday, with more programming to come. There’s also an outdoor playscape for kids, for even more family-friendly fun.
“Our new location is east of IH-35, which is still an underserved area, so we’re happy to bring great food and drink options for everyone in Buda to enjoy!” said Benson in a release.
So far, there are no plans to keep expanding to other cities (imagine another 20 years), but Benson says he is open to it if an opportunity arises.
Progress Coffee + Beer will open to the public on Friday, August 25th, at 750 FM 2001 in Buda. Hours of operation are Sunday to Wednesday from 7 am to midnight, and Thursday to Saturday from 7am to 2 am. Progress is also still looking to hire some staff for the new location. Inquire via email to budamanager@progresscoffee.com.
Rendering courtesy of Progress Coffee + Beer
The new location in Buda is more homey than the industrial renovation in Austin.
