Kick Butt Coffee

About the Business

Specialties

From "Best of Austin" write-up in the Austin American Statesman: "Plenty of surface parking on site. Some of the music is live. Decaf, teas, chai. [Lunch!] Some quiet spots in this big space. We've always liked owner Thomas Gohring and his ambitions to create a singular community around coffee, booze, entertainment and, yes, martial arts. Gohring brings to the game a flair for showmanship, an element almost absent from any other coffee shop in town. He has expanded the size of his original location on Airport Boulevard while retracting his attempts to go global. A small stage, backed by his signature graphics, takes pride of place, but the long coffee bar attests to the original impulse to serve rigorously prepared espresso drinks along with food, beer and wine. As the ACC Highland project, as well as the Linc and other area redevelopments fire up, expect Kick Butt to thrive and retain its inimitable character. *The place opens and closes at odd times; we rounded up or down."

History

Established in 2008.

"While chatting with a bank teller about the lack of coffee shops along Airport Boulevard, Thomas Gohring came up with what he thought was a kick-butt idea. Merging his love of martial arts with the community's need for a little pick-me-up, he opened Kick Butt Coffee [February 2008] and then Kick Butt Coffee in The Triangle [July 2009]. Red walls, nunchucks, bamboo and oriental fans illustrate the business' ties to martial arts. The shop, which serves coffee, smoothies, pizza, breakfast frittatas, sandwiches, wine, beer and liquor, has round, cozy booths, a giant plasma screen TV and a Wii gaming system. Amenities at the new 2nd location include a giant projection screen, a swimming pool and a Wii. But Gohring wanted to build more of a nighttime business with a full bar as well. He asked his sister, a stand-up comedian, to help start a weekly open mic night, and Kick Butt Comedy was born. The coffee shop even opens its stage to 100s out-of-town musicians, for sxsw." - Austin Monthly

Meet the Business Owner

Business owner information

Thomas G.

Business Owner

Kick Butt Coffee was conceived by Thomas R. Gohring in the wee morning hours of April, 25th, 2007. The day before, while making a deposit at Bank of America, he made a comment to the teller that it was peculiarly slow at the bank. There were no other customers. He gestured that there is usually a long line of...and he made some motions like a zombie when the other teller says, "yeah, there are no coffee shops around here, I wish there were a Starbucks or something close by." The seed was planted.The fact that there are no coffee shops in the Airport Blvd. corridor, in combination with having a friend who worked part time at another local coffee shop contributed to the idea taking root. It has now evolved into community centers where artists, business people and students, from a variety of backgrounds, come together for good coffee and/or cocktails and friendly service in positive environment where they can get feedback on their craft.