Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!

We are excited to welcome 2025 this holiday season as we celebrate things to come.

In 2024 we said our final goodbye to our beloved, Austin, Texas authentic coffee roastery at 1400 East 4th Street.  We have had such a blast roasting, brewing and serving coffee to our coffee community out of this location for the last 30 years and it has been fun hearing folx’ tell their stories and memories as we close this one door and open three more!

Our new retail shop is up and running and we are so excited for everyone to see it!  There is both inside and outside seating, the staff that y’all know and love and it is very easy to get to with lots of parking.  

It was important for us to stay in the neighborhood that we love and we were very fortunate to find such an amazing location. Please stop by for some beans or a beverage or just to check it out!  The address is 3223 East 7th, east of the 7th street HEB.

Our roastery is busy roasting, packaging and shipping coffee Monday through Friday at our new wholesale/production location at 5815 Wilcab Rd.  We are really proud of this site!  It allows a dedicated place for our wholesale customers to pick up their larger orders, work with the sales staff and visit about our products as well.

Our service department now has their own site as well!  Located on Airport Blvd,  this location is for dropping off machines that need service.  It is a wonderfully large space that accommodates our service team really well.  If you have a machine to drop off or need a machine worked on at your location, please call 512-476-1437 to arrange the drop off or service appointment.

Rc and I have stepped back from the day to day at Coffee Traders now that we are well past the age of retirement.  We continue to participate in big vision projects and are planning on spending more time in Costa Rica this year.  We invested in new equipment for the coffee mill in Costa Rica in 2024 and we are looking forward to seeing how it works through the harvest season.  Always something new!

Thank you so much for supporting us during this time of change and giving suggestions and feedback to help us grow.  We wouldn’t want to do it without you all.  Have a great new year and see you at the shop!

We're Thankful for You

When RC founded Montana Coffee Traders in 1981, the vision was simple: to create a space where coffee and community come together. Beth and RC followed the same vision when starting Texas Coffee Traders in 1994.  Today, we are profoundly grateful to everyone whohas played a role in making Montana Coffee Traders and Texas Coffee Traders a positive part of their everyday lives.

We deeply appreciate the dedicated and passionate growers, producers, and all those along the coffee journey, from seed to cup. Your hard work starts the process that ends in every perfect cup of coffee.

We are grateful to the knowledgeable and hardworking Roastery and Production teams, whose commitment ensures that every bean is roasted, packaged, stocked, shipped or delivered with the utmost care. A special thank you goes to our retail teams in Whitefish, Kalispell, Colombia Falls and Austin, Texas.  Your dedication to the craft of coffee helps create the warm, welcoming spaces where our community comes together.

This year, we are particularly thankful for health, kindness, and authenticity. We wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude to you. We see you, and we thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,

RC and  Beth Beall

Summer Update!

Hey y’all!  

It has been a minute since I have sat down and updated the Rc/Beth blog. We have been busy this year and fortunately we are busy with good things.

TCT has now officially moved the offices and roastery over to the new location at 5815 Wilcab, Austin, TX.  It was a very large move and the TCT folx were incredible while sorting, packing, and repurposing 26 years of stuff.  While all of this was going on the roasters were still roasting, coffee drinks, tea and beans were being sold in the retail shop and our deliveries were going out to cafes and shops where TCT coffee is sold.  It was a lot of work and Rc and I were blown away by the enthusiasm and support.  

Rc is still healing from the motorcycle accident so we watched the process through photos and facetime.  Bravo to the team!!  The new TCT coffeeshop/serviceshop on Airport hit a major roadblock during the process which we are still working on so we are still at the East 4th street location until we finish the project. We will let folx know as soon as we know when this will change.

As the days become hotter remember to drop by for a cold brew coffee!  Our summer drink menu offers the quenchers we are all needing in these 100+ days plus we are air conditioned!

Enjoy the rest of summer.  Watch out for the kiddos as they head back to school and if you are riding a motorized vehicle, please wear a helmet.  #wearahelmet

New Roaster!

Dear Coffee Traders family,

We're thrilled to share some exciting updates with you regarding our upcoming roastery move and a slight shift in our roasting process. For years, we've relied on our trusty Sivetz roast machines, renowned for their consistency and unique fluidized-air bed roasting method. However, as part of our commitment to sustainability, we're transitioning a majority of our roasting to Loring air roasters. While this new roaster operates differently from our Sivetz machines, it offers improved energy efficiency, consistency, and still removes chaff during the roasting process.

It's important to note that despite this change, our dedication to crafting exceptional coffee remains unchanged. The Loring roaster still primarily utilizes convective heat, ensuring uniformity in roast profiles and preserving the distinct flavor characteristics you've come to love. While you may notice a lighter coloration in each profile due to the transition, rest assured that our team is dedicated to maintaining the quality and consistency you expect. We're here to support you through this transition and look forward to exploring new roast offerings as we embrace this exciting journey together. Thank you for your continued support, and we can't wait to share what the future holds!

Cheers,

Beth, Rc, & the Bean Team

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

From our family to yours, we wish you a joyful and healthy 2024.  There are so many changes coming up for Texas Coffee Traders this year!  

We went into 2023 with high hopes that our renovation and move to our new location would be a whole lot sooner than what actually happened. It has taken a while but we are excited that our building is finally finished, the power is on, the roasters installed and we  plan to be moved over to the new home in early 2024.  Fingers crossed!

The new TCT retail shop will open shortly after that and then we hope to take a break from construction for a while. We are truly excited to show off the new spaces.

Rc and I are still taking a step back from day to day operations at TCT and MCT.  Rc has progressed so much over the last 20 months.  Brain healing is a slow process but he is nailing it!  Our hope for 2024 is that we can ease back into more participation.  

We are forever grateful to the Coffee Traders community for giving us the opportunity to take a break and work on recovery.  Giving us the grace to just disappear, literally, while they were continuing to grow the businesses, contribute to our communities and support each other in the process has been a blessing we recognize and are deeply grateful for.

Thanks to family, friends, colleagues and our community.  Here’s to the New Year!

Beth and Rc

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  2023 is going to be a big year at Coffee Traders!

We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and having time to enjoy family and friends.  The cold weather in Austin helped create a wonderful opportunity to just stay inside, drink fresh roasted coffee and visit!

This year is going to be a year of changes for Texas Coffee Traders and we are looking forward to it.  In the next few months construction of our new roasting facility will be complete and we will be moving our current roasting and production departments to 5815 Wilcab Road,

At the same time we should have all the permits and inspections completed at our new retail and service shop on Airport Blvd. so that we can move those departments in at that site.  It is such a great space!

Big moves and lots of change!  

It is exciting to look forward to 2023 as a year of growth for Coffee Traders and we are busy finishing up the last details so that we will be ready to welcome you all to our new sites.  We have loved every minute of our time on East 4th.  The neighborhood has been our home for 25 years and we have so many stories and history tied to our building and area and it isn’t without sadness that we are moving our location.  Along with that however is a genuine excitement to create new stories and history.

We hope you all join in!

On a personal note, Rc is now settled in at home and recovering.  Christmas weekend was a lot of fun with family dropping by and being able to enjoy all of it from home instead of the hospital.  What a gift!

Thank you everyone for the continued love and support and we truly look forward to 2023 as a transformative year.  Happy 2023!

Beth and Rc

Winter is Here

Finally, it arrives!  In Whitefish, Montana today the high will be 24 degrees F.  There is snow and the town is all lit up for the holidays.  Here in Austin, TX. the temperatures this week will range from 61 to 81 degrees which means no snow but the town is still very lit.  😀

We are still very much open at our 4th Street location and look forward to helping y’all with fresh roasted coffees and coffee brewing accessories or methods for gifting.  This time of year I always keep a couple of lbs of coffee ready to give to neighbors and friends who drop by.

We now anticipate opening our new retail location after the first of the year unless there is a permitting miracle that happens.  The permits are happening but the process is slow.  It is an amazing space and we are eager to share it with everyone.

Rc has been discharged from the hospital at last and is home and healing.  It has been such a gift to have him back home, not attached to any tubes and progressing daily.  We are so grateful to everyone who has helped him get this far and are excited for this next year.  If any of us ever doubted his tenacity to get better, this event and his approach to healing  has cleared up any questions.

He works at improving every day, cracks jokes along the way and is always asking us how we are doing.  His memory is still pretty off and on so memory and motor skills are our focus these days.  It just takes time.

We wish everyone a peaceful, joyful holiday season. Please remember to have fun but if you drink, don’t drive and if you are the designated driver, drink coffee!

Autumn Changes

I love this time of year and this year is extra exciting as we get ready to open our new retail shop along with a new service shop and training space. We are in love with the new layout and can’t wait to show it off.

Right now we are planning on opening on Airport Blvd. shortly after Thanksgiving.  We are posting teasers and updates and as we get closer we will post firm schedules, dates, etc.

It will be strange not having our retail shop on East 4th but building out the new space has given us all an excitement to start this new chapter.

As this project is winding down, we have our new production/roasting facility project well on the way.  We should be moving into the new roasting building at the end of March 2023 with brand new roasters, new grinders, baggers, all the things!  As the roasting industry evolves there are more machines that have energy saving features that we are excited to incorporate into Coffee Traders so once again, we look forward to showing it all off!

As all of this is happening there are changes going on for Rc as well.  Rc has a discharge date of mid November and he will be coming home just in time for Thanksgiving!  We definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year.  Everyday he progresses in his recovery, and though it is slower than we sometimes wish, it is happening in its time and is amazing to see.  Thank you everyone for all the wishes and prayers.  We have needed everyone of these and we are deeply grateful.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Fall and look forward to seeing you all at our new location very soon.

Looking forward,

Beth Beall

so much news!

So much news!

Texas Coffee Traders has so much going on and we want to make sure everyone knows the plans and what to expect in the next couple of years.

First, we sold our building on East 4th in April of this year.  Coffee is not a high profit commodity and we found that we could no longer support the business while paying the astronomical property taxes.  

Never fear!  We aren’t closing but we will be moving.  A couple of years ago we purchased a warehouse on Wilcab Road which is still in East Austin but in a more industrial area and one that isn’t being actively developed for condos or offices.  We look forward to being in the new building for many years to come.  We anticipate the move of our roasting facility to happen at the end of March, 2023.

Our goal and plan is to add onto the existing structure and build out a full facility, and those plans have been submitted, but in the meantime Rc was in the motorcycle accident and is busy recovering and healing and not able right now to participate in a large construction project.

So, we temporarily changed our plans in order to allow him time to heal while we create a space in the existing facility on Wilcab that will work for roasting and production without adding anything on.  It has been a challenge for sure and yet the new design is wonderful and we are excited for the next chapter.

Similar to our footprint in Montana, we will now have the retail/service/teaching labs located away from the roasting facility.  We have found a great location on Airport and Springdale and the renovation has already begun!  Our retail and service will have a much bigger space to enjoy and we look forward to sharing out the plans, dates of opening, etc. in the next couple of months.  

Rc continues to improve.  He will soon move to a new facility in order to build strength and be ready to come home.  It all takes time and patience and he remains really funny which keeps us all smiling.

So, exciting stuff!  Stay tuned for updates and pictures of the progress.

Much gratitude for all the prayers, thoughts, messages, and love sent our way.

Beth and Rc

July 15, 2022

Happy July all!

What an incredible summer we are having in Texas.  Everyday it seems that we are breaking records and none of these are the type that we get a trophy for.  We leased a couple of event type air conditioners this summer in order to help regulate the temperature in our roast room.  They help a whole lot but when it is 110 outside keeping a regulated temperature is difficult.  Right now, we are staggering the roast schedule for the roast team so that everyone gets a paid day off during the week in order to rest and hydrate at home, hopefully in the air conditioning.  We have also asked our customers to order what they actually need and not “stock up” right now in order to reduce roasting hours.

In the meantime, iced drinks are super popular!  We have fans and misters outside under the tent to help keep folx comfortable.  Come on by and enjoy a cold beverage!  For those folx who prefer hot coffee, no worries, we have lots of choices.

Rc continues to improve and heal.  He is talking some now and asking questions which is exciting.  He continues to work on mobility and everyone is very confident that it will happen but again it takes time.  He has the capability; he just has to build up his strength.  He remains pretty vulnerable to illnesses so right now his visitors are still restricted.  Once he gets a bit stronger, he will love having folx come by to say hi!

Again, we hope everyone is getting a chance to enjoy the summer, swim in the springs and cool off with a delicious Coffee Trader’s cold brew or one of our summer drink specials.  Take care all,

Beth and Rc

June 9, 2022

Hey all,

Oh my goodness, it is seriously hot folx! Cold brew and iced teas are the drink choices these days though there are those of us who stay true to that hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

With the extraordinary hot weather we are having, TCT is making all efforts to limit the time our roasters are in the roasting room so there is a chance that not all of our coffees will be on the shelves all the time. We appreciate everyone understanding the plan not to "roast the roaster".

Rc continues to recover. He was in Dell Seton again this week for his last procedure, knock on wood, and should return to rehab next week to continue his recovery work. His prognosis remains very positive. It just takes time.

Thanks again to everyone who has reached out. The prayers and positive wishes make a huge difference and we truly appreciate all the support.

Enjoy the summer and we look forward to seeing you all at the shop!

Beth and Rc

May 13th 2022

Hey all,

Well spring felt like it didn’t really happen here in Texas with hot summer weather already upon us.  This is the time of year that we want to show extra appreciation to our roasters who are up early everyday roasting fresh coffee.    It is very warm in the roast room so breaks, water, portable a/c units and standing in the walk in cooler are all happening.

RC is out of the ICU and is now in a rehab facility that specializes in traumatic brain injuries.  He makes progress every day and we are so grateful for the level of care and expertise that he is receiving.  He is still not able to have visitors other than family, but we are very appreciative of all the supportive messages, prayers and well wishes everyone has been sending.

It will be a while yet before he is back at the shop, but get ready for when he does because he is going to have some stories to tell.  We all know how much he loves telling a good story!

We have lots of cold brew and iced tea over here at the shop ready to cool y’all down so come on by!  Take care, and if you are out and about on your bikes, scooters, motorcycles or skates, please wear your helmet.

Beth

May 2, 2022

Hello all,

Thank you everyone for the outpouring of love and support for Rc while he continues his recovery journey.  

Rc is doing well and remains in the ICU at Dell Seton as he heals from the accident.

He has a grocery list of broken bones and it seems that everyday I am still finding new cuts or abrasions, but all of these things are healing well and will just take a little more time.

The longer healing process will be his brain injury.  He has bruises in the areas of the brain that process commands, etc. and as the bruising heals he is able to do more but the brain heals very slowly so patience has become a big lesson to learn here.

Everyone who knows Rc at all knows that he is a fighter and he is definitely giving this his all.  It will just take time and experts that can guide his recovery.  We have all that.

Take care and enjoy the spring!

Beth

April 23rd 2022 - A message from Beth about RC

Hi all,

I know some of you have already heard our latest news but I want to personally share what is going on.

Last week RC was in a motorcycle accident when he hit a pothole in the road and lost control of the bike.  He was not wearing a helmet and his head hit the pavement during the crash.

He has a whole lot of broken bones which will heal easily.  His brain injury is going to take a bit more time.  Right now, four days out from the incident he is still mainly sleeping.  The neuro team at Dell Seton here in Austin are truly incredible, and since it is a teaching hospital the docs arrive with 4 or 5 resident doctors for every visit.  The questions and dialogue are super helpful and we are so fortunate to have this here in Austin.

For those who have already heard about this and have reached out with prayers, thoughts, offers of help, thank you so much.  We feel very loved and supported.  Right now we are in the best place we can be.  I am reading all of the emails but our days are unpredictable right now so I am not always able to respond quickly, or even slowly. :)

As RC continues his recovery I will post updates.  Currently he is in ICU so no visits, food or flowers.  Please send all the positive thoughts, prayers, vibes!  

Take care everyone and if you ride a motorcycle, bicycle, scooter, skates, wear a helmet!

Beth

March 16, 2022

Hey folks!

We want to clarify some “breaking news” with y’all!

Texas Coffee Traders is not closing!

We are here at E 4th St roasting away, so come on by and have a cup of coffee with us!

Why are people saying you're closing?

In the coming years, we will be moving our headquarters.  We love where we are but with all the development around us, being a manufacturing company in this area poses some challenges. For more information - check out Beth’s blog post below this one!

But what about that article I read?

There have been a couple news articles that have come out talking about the development that is going to take over 1400 E 4th St after we leave. Those articles made it seem like we were going to close when that development happens, which is not the case. We’re just moving a little further east!

But for now, we’re not going anywhere! We’ll keep y’all updated when the time comes. 

If you have any other questions we are here to answer them! M-F 8 to 4.

Thanks and Happy Caffeinating!

Alli

March 14, 2022

This week the first bluebonnets have been seen along the highways of Texas!  Spring is arriving, officially on March 20th, and we are all excited over here at TCT to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

We are now officially open in retail again!   We have decided to keep both the window ordering as well as indoor ordering options open.  Our outside tables space is a great spot to enjoy your coffee drinks, catch up on email or visit with family/friends.  

We are extremely appreciative to our coffee community for supporting us during the up and down of the last two years.  It has not been easy for any of us and having a strong community has made a huge difference.   Our goals are to stay open and grow! 

In the last month there have been a couple of articles in the paper about changes for the Texas Coffee Traders location.   One article in particular sounded like Coffee Traders was no longer here on East 4th. 

First off, we are still here on East 4th. 

When we first purchased our building back in 1996 we envisioned being here on East 4th permanently.  The neighborhood was very different.  We were on our block, the tortilla factory was a couple of blocks down, Habitat for Humanity's resale store was across the corner.  It was a sleepy street and there were no indicators that this would all change. 

Over the last 26 years, however, the neighborhood has changed.  We are now surrounded by development.  That change and growth has come with challenges for a coffee roastery.  We could make a list of the challenges but number one is that the value of this property has created a tax burden that we can no longer bear.

We are coffee roasters.  Coffee roasting, while deeply satisfying and interesting, is not a high profit business.  Over the last few years we have found that most of our profit goes straight to our tax bill and that is just not sustainable.

So, a couple of years ago we made the decision to relocate.  We found a location to purchase that is still in East Austin but zoned for industry and away from development.  We are currently in the process of designing an addition to the building currently there that will take Coffee Traders into the future.

It is very emotional for Rc and I to think of relocating, but we are truly excited about the new space and what it will be like.  It reminds us of “old Austin” in that we have land surrounding the building and it is very quiet.    We are even thinking of having some chickens again along with a big vegetable garden.

Like any building project in Austin, Texas we are waiting for permits before we can build but we hope to have those in the next year. :))

In the meantime, we are right here, on East 4th serving delicious coffee drinks and offering fresh roasted coffee beans. 

We look forward to the future with our coffee community and once again, thank you all for supporting us during the years.  Moving forward!

Beth and Rc

January 1, 2022

Finally! 2022! I don’t remember a time when we have been so happy to see a year be over, except maybe 2020. :)

Rc and I were talking about all the challenges of 2021 yesterday and looking back, it seems that we packed about 5 years into 1. We began the year with a Covid surge and ended the year with another. Montana Coffee Traders and Texas Coffee Traders both had times when we didn’t have enough staff, due to illness and quarantines, to even open our business.  

The supply chain issues are real and the price of coffee and everything else has gone up exponentially. It’s a lot for businesses to successfully maneuver and honestly the words ``pivot” and “resilience” will forever bring up memories of this time in our lives and how each day was different than the one before. Understanding that each day would bring new challenges that require creativity and the ability to adapt quickly has kept us moving forward.

The ability to quickly adapt is one skill we have learned to lean into, and all the while what keeps us excited and positive about the day is our community.

Starting with our community of employees who came to work every day ready to do the research to find products in a market with shortages. Folx who got excited about creating new drink menus and talking about the new coffees and products with our customers even if it was sometimes through a window. Those employees who figured out how to engage customers through a mask and give that extra care during a time when folx are tired of challenges and just want the familiar. This is what we worked to give and we are forever grateful to our staff for providing that and working on ways to keep it fun.

We are so grateful to our community of customers who stuck with us and even helped us adjust by offering ideas, encouragement, and friendly faces. A coffee shop is a community center. It is where you hear what is happening in the neighborhood, town, world. Folx that don’t normally hang out together do so at a coffee shop. Having such a strong and loyal customer community allowed for folx to have a spot to connect when so many things were shut down and we are enormously grateful to this Coffee Trader group.

Opening and closing, back and forth for the last two years has not been great for business. High prices and supply chain issues are not great for business. Lack of employees is not great for business. Illness throughout the company is not great for our employees and it is also not great for business. We are grateful to those folx who recognize this and work hard to keep our community safe and healthy. Bottomline, we need to get healthy again and at Coffee Traders we commit to doing whatever it takes to get there.

2022 can be a wonderful year but there are some things that we need to get past. We can do that.  We look forward to seeing you all at the window sometimes and inside sometimes, depending on the current conditions. Either way we will do our best to create a great experience and we look forward to sharing stories, news and coffee knowledge with you.

Much gratitude to you all, looking forward,

Rc and Beth

December 20, 2021

Hello everyone!

We hope all of you are ready for a wonderful holiday and that you all are staying safe!

This week at Texas Coffee Traders we have had quite a few of our staff test positive for Covid 19. Currently we are still “open” but we are working with much reduced staff.

We have gone back to window only for our retail shop. Please call Service at 512-476-1437 if you need a service tech to meet you outside for machine drop.

We look forward to a time when our staff is fully healthy and we can once again provide the timely customer service we look forward to offering.

In the meantime we ask for everyone’s patience and understanding.

Have a wonderful holiday and we are looking forward to 2022!

Beth and Rc

November 24, 2021

Hello Friends!

We are so excited that the holiday season is finally here!  Our weather hasn’t  given us many hints that it is that time of year yet, but holiday lights and decorations are popping up all over.

Here at Coffee Traders we have been working hard to stock up on items that should be on any coffee lover’s wish list.  We have new mugs, t-shirts, brewing devices and accessories for all of those folx who enjoy coffee and tea and fun ways to brew!

This year Rc and I would like to thank all of our customers and community for supporting Coffee Traders throughout the years.  The last year and a half have been particularly challenging and we are so grateful to each and every one of you for joining in this journey.  You all have consistently adapted to the changes in service and hours and “supply chain shortage” issues we have experienced and continue to experience and you have done it with grace.  A most sincere thanks to all of you.

Please take care of yourselves and each other and we hope everyone has plenty of coffee in the house.  Enjoy!

Beth and Rc Beall