Downtown Austin is a place like no other. The vibrant culture of the people, along with the great local venues around town, make this part of the city a great attraction. One of downtown’s popular venues is Jo’s Coffee. Founded by Liz Lambert, this locally owned coffee shop was established in 1999, and it has expanded ever since.
Today it has grown to four operating locations in Austin, Texas. The original is located on South Congress Avenue, followed by a spot on West Second Street in downtown, as well as, two separate locations at St. Edwards University. Each venue offers the same great menu of treats, such as; coffee (i.e., Turbo, Belgium Bomber…), local tacos, sandwiches, and bakery items. Each location also offers its own unique environment.
Every Austinite, as well many tourists, know the South Congress location by the “I love you so much” mural that is spray-painted on the side of the building. This location attracts the most out of town visitors, both domestic and foreign. At any given time that one might visit this spot, you are sure to see people posing for photo opportunities next to the famous mural. After ordering a nice cup of coffee or bakery item, customers can sit at a table or the patio bar and people watch.
While the South Congress location is the most popular, it doesn’t have any indoor seating. However, both the St. Edwards and West Second street locations do offer tables indoors. The St. Edwards community offers two venues. One is placed nicely on the main campus strip in the Ragsdale Center and another in Doyle Hall. The Ragsdale Center has a street-side cafe, as well as a shaded area for tables.
Students and campus staff can stop by and order their favorite food or drink while enjoying their beautiful campus.
Jo’s Coffee on West Second Street is set up in the heart of the city with a nice indoor cafe and an outdoor patio that looks out onto the streets of downtown. Businessmen and women often come to this location during lunch breaks, or for meetings with clients and co-workers. This location often gets lost in all of the hustle that surrounds it. However, if you look for it, you will find the quality coffee and baked goods of the other two more easily found spots.
Jo’s is not just about coffee, its also about community. All of Jo’s locations offer various events that bring people together. Jo’s downtown offers Burger Me Tuesdays and Rupaul’s Drag Race Screenings, to name a few. The campus location provides activities including an open mic night, poetry slams, band performances…. Jo’s South Congress is famous for many events, including the music festival held around the same time as SXSW called South X San Jose, the Pet Parade held around Easter, and the annual Chili Cook-Off.
Jo’s Coffee is iconic in the capital of Texas. Whether you are from Austin or just visiting, the love for Jo’s will always call you back.
An Austinite Site 