Story by Kaitlyn Milner

Tucked away at the end of Lake Austin Boulevard, Mozart’s Coffee Roasters perches on top of the lake, with a picturesque view of the water from its outdoor seating area. Typically bustling with people, the coffee shop rarely has a dull moment, having become an accessible dining spot, entertainment area, study nook, and center for other activities. 

Since 1993, Mozart’s Coffee Roasters has been an iconic staple in Austin, boasting live music, outdoor events, and handcrafted pastries. Its celebrity draws in multitudes of customers every year, with a notable uptick around the Christmas holidays, when the establishment transforms into a winter wonderland. While most Austinites know the name, many may not know the background. 

Ken and Stacey Leonard, co-owners of Mozart’s, have been running the show for coming-on-33 years now. A UT Alum, Leonard has created a coffee-and-bakery destination with a bustling atmosphere where not just students but people from all over the world flock to enjoy. 

“This is a massive community of everyone from professors and students at UT, to business people, to remote tech workers, to people going out on their first date, to high school kids, to international people,” said Leonard.

Given that the Brackenridge Apartments are right up the road, where married UT students (typically PhD candidates) live, it makes for an easily accessible option for families to enjoy. According to Leonard, “For 30 years, pretty much everyone who lives in those apartments… came here,” with their spouses and children. 

Mozart’s has become a place for all kinds of cultural and seasonal celebrations, hosting events for Diwali, Lunar New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, and several others. By far the most popular is the iconic Festival of Lights, where Mozart’s is festooned with vibrant lights and decorations to mark the Christmas season. 

Leonard says that the “Festival of Lights is almost a half a million people”.

Another popular event at Mozart’s is Movies on the Lake, where customers can rent paddleboards to sit in the middle of the lake and watch movies. It’s a “kind of an old-fashioned drive-in theater” that lets people connect with their community and enjoy their favorite movies on the water.

To put on events of this magnitude, as well as serve top-notch food and drink, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work. For example, all the coffee beans used are roasted in-house, while some are sent to other locations for sale. Jack Ranstrom, the Director of Coffee at Mozart’s, oversees this process.

Ranstrom says that his “favorite part [of the roasting process] is when you come out with something really good.”

As Director of Coffee, Ranstrom is responsible for introducing new drinks to the menu and ensuring they meet standards. Something he has been working on lately (Lately, he has been working on…) is introducing refreshers and energy drinks to keep up with the latest trends. Mozart’s will also bring in seasonal summer drinks, including a Cinnamon Churro Buzz, a Cloud 9 Coconut, a Blushing Rose Tea, a Matcha Moon Sunday, and a Garden Spritz. 

To complement the menu change, Mozart’s has appointed Raymond Lemmers, former culinary director at the Austin Proper hotel, to give their time-tested menu a makeover. Lemmers began his culinary journey in the Netherlands and later immigrated to the United States to further his career in hotels and country clubs nationwide. His plan for Mozart’s is to elevate the menu and, over time, make lasting changes to the way food is prepared, even add some new items of his own. 

“We’re gonna slowly chip away at it and really elevate what Mozart’s is, and what Mozart’s is going to become,” said Lemmers, 

Lemmers has an accomplished background in the culinary arts and has worked in some of “the finest places in the country”, so the expectation for new scrumptious pastries is well-founded. His experience as a Culinary Director at world-renowned restaurants will only improve the already strong kitchen production in Mozart’s, and the best is yet to come. 

For example, one treat that has been affected is the chocolate croissant, one of Mozart’s many popular pastries. The pastries are well known for their quality and are a signature reason the shop has historically been successful. With carefully curated changes to the recipe, the already delicious baked goods are guaranteed only to be improved. 

Lemmers said, “The chocolate croissant changed a few days ago. So they’re new, they’re different.” 

For the most part, however, other changes will happen gradually, and most of the time out of the customer’s eye. With that being said, customers will enjoy new flavors in the coming months. 

“Changes are happening, they’re just not so visual,” said Lemmers. “It’s behind-the-scenes work that will reflect on the product.” 

These upgrades will ensure that Mozart’s will remain a staple, and its atmosphere continues to be unmatched. After three decades, it is clear that the location, food, coffee, and community have become part of Austin culture. 

As Leonard aptly says, “We’ve been doing those same things since we started.”