Texas Au Lait
When you think of Texas, you think of steak, football and oil. Well, there appears to be a new black gold rush in the Lone Star state, coffee.
We forecasted this years ago, and now we are seeing the results of a mad dash to introduce new brands throughout Texas, which had been an overlooked market for many years. Slowly the populations grew and grew along with affluence. Now, the best brands in the country can't wait to serve the people of Texas.
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has singled out Texas as a prime market for its brand and has already been building locations. "Texas is where the next coffee wars will be fought." Said tongue-in-cheek Sanjiv Razdan, President of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf North America and India.
CBTL is not the only one; New York-born Aussie brand Bluestone Lane has locations in and around Houston. La Colombe, Philly's favorite, will open their first location in Austin. Tim Hortons is slated to open its second location in Houston.
These are some of the leading players stepping up to the table. However, the
unexpected player is Hawaii's multi-unit coffee franchise brand, Bad Ass Coffee. BAC has been around since 1989 and started franchising in 1995. Today they have 24 units, and they just signed a deal to add ten more surfer-style units to the West Houston and Galveston area and five units to Dallas.
All these major brands vying for a spot in Texas, along with all the local independents, make Texas a very competitive market for premium real estate locations and high-quality products. So who will win the race to make a real connection that lasts with the people of Texas?
By Jake Leonti - Cafe Guru at F+B Therapy