AUSTIN’S OG COFFEE HOUSE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF AUTHENTIC HOSPITALITY AND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY

WORDS BY STACEY INGRAM KALEH | PHOTOS BY MOZART’S COFFEE ROASTERS

In the Local Legends series, we shine the spotlight on a restaurant that’s been serving the community for more than three decades. These iconic spots have become part of the fabric of our shared culture, with multiple generations of Central Texans able to fondly reflect upon memories made at these beloved eateries. In a rapidly growing and changing region, they’ve stood the test of time. Yet, they still need our support so that they can be enjoyed by future generations. It’s time to rediscover the restaurants that keep our communities authentic, vibrant and resilient.

Multi-level decks stretch out along the edge of Lake Austin’s sparkling blue water, dotted with picnic tables and under the gracious cover of heritage oaks. Hand-painted signs greet visitors and welcome them into an oasis filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods and made even sweeter by the sounds of live music, birds and community in fellowship.

Repurposed Cups

It’s hard to think back to a time before coffee shops were just around the corner, a staple of our neighborhoods and urban environment. Before national chains expanded to Austin and before the local roasting scene grew to national acclaim, Mozart’s Coffee Roasters brought a unique vision to our community. “The original tenets of the business are still our tenets today, which are really three things in probably the following order: Bakery, Coffee, Place,” says Ken Leonard, owner/operator, co-founder and CEO. “We had this idea of fresh-roasted coffee on the premise, which didn’t exist in Austin. At the time, there was really only a local roaster — Anderson’s — which was here years before us. But Anderson’s wasn’t a coffee shop, it was a coffee roasting company,” Leonard shares. “We’ve been roasting and baking onsite since day one, and that’s never changed. It’s just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger.”

Founded in 1993 by four local couples with a passion for quality coffee and inspired by the specialty coffee scenes emerging in southern California and Seattle, Mozart’s is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. From its start as a small stone building on a grassy knoll to a sprawling, multi-level and multi-building lakeside retreat, Mozart’s has grown with Austin. It continues to expand its offerings today, is consistently responsive to its customers and has innovated and evolved over time.

When I visited with Leonard during the summer, Mozart’s was building a brand new state-of-the-art coffee roaster to celebrate Director of Coffee Jack Ranstrom’s 20th anniversary with the company. They had also just opened an indoor loft area with a stage for live jazz, were installing an automated wheelchair lift and were about to open a paddleboard launch station called “Lake Austin Calm.” There was an air of excitement as we walked up and down through the cafe building, the decks, “the Loft,” “the Grotto,” the gift shop and the many idiosyncratic vignettes that comprise the property. Leonard greeted employees like friends, and nothing felt decades old or settled. The best way I can think of to describe Mozart’s is alive — growing, changing and filled with energy, a lot like Austin itself.

When it came to the coffee, Mozart’s wanted visitors to see the coffee being roasted in front of them. Mozart’s coffee uses fair trade, ecologically sourced “green beans” and is crafted by expert Ranstrom.“We recruited Jack [Ranstrom] and moved him here from Seattle. That was 20 years ago, where the roasting scene was exploding at the time. Jack was one of the first apprentice roasters for a very successful company called Seattle’s Best, which was later acquired by Starbucks and still to this day remains their wholesale outlet … so Jack was part of that group that birthed the Seattle coffee scene.” Leonard shares that when they first brought Ranstrom on board, Mozart’s could not afford a coffee specialist, so he and his wife Stacey mentored Ranstrom to oversee the entire coffee shop’s operations. Now, as Mozart’s roasting business has grown, Ranstrom is able once again to specialize and focus on the coffee.

Some of the many choices

Alongside a commitment to specialization, dedication to service has been key to Mozart’s growth and resilience over the past 30 years and has helped them create a distinct sense of place, their third tenet.

Mozart’s is one-of-a-kind, and has invested in its original location rather than expanding elsewhere. “We’ve sort of remained this home- town holdout,” Leonard says. This investment and commitment to community seems to have paid off, too. “We never could have imagined what’s happened systematically over 30 years to the business. The business today will do more in a busy hour than it did originally in a week,” Leonard shares.

Leonard tells me the four couples who co-founded Mozart’s had a collective background in hospitality. “We’re always asking, ‘How can we make it possible for our customers to have the best experience they can have?’ And that has tons of inherent challenges … and it takes a lot of dedication, effort, planning and organization,” says Leonard. Mozart’s team members are crucial to crafting a great customer experience, where authentic hospitality allows everyone to feel comfortable. Leonard emphasizes “…it also takes the right people who want to be in a business that’s primary goal is to serve other people, genuinely serving people and genuinely making other people happy…”

Accessibility is also a cornerstone for Leonard and Mozart’s, and an important part of its place-making. “It’s really pretty simple: everyone is welcome here,” he says. “We want to be open and accessible to as many people as possible with respect to the quality of our craft when it comes to baking, making, roasting and performing.”

Leonard, a University of Texas at Austin alumnus, attributes much of Mozart’s early success to its proximity to UT Austin’s labs and married student housing on Lake Austin (Mozart’s and the other residents of Oyster Landing reside on university property). Diverse groups of university students embraced the local spot for caffeine and baked goods. “Mozart’s has been given access to people from all walks of life, all different proclivities, all different interests, all different identities and that fabric has really, almost automatically never been anything that we had to try to contrive or engineer… That community sort of started instantaneously, and we were the benefactors. I think that got other people feeling comfortable that Mozart’s is a place that is welcoming to everyone.” According to Leonard, these days Mozart’s welcomes about one million visitors each year.

It becomes clear in speaking with Leonard that serving their community requires a lot of helping hands. From dedicated longtime employees who are the heart and soul of the operations to loyal partners, contractors and vendors who help maintain the building and grounds throughout Texas’ extreme weather conditions, it “takes a large cast of characters,” as he would say, to maintain a place like Mozart’s.

Live music could almost be called a fourth tenet of Mozart’s philosophy. “We’ve also done music since day one … and we take a lot of pride that we’ve never deviated from that.” Leonard emphasizes how much the local music scene has changed in the past 30 years and the increasing challenges for musicians, including cost of living, which only further fuel his passion for supporting local artists.

The famous deck

From its inception, Mozart’s has been more than a typical coffee shop, open every day from 7 a.m. to midnight and showcasing the work of Austin’s creatives — from musicians and singers to comedians, visual artists, dancers and makers of all kinds. Since Mozart’s team is itself comprised of makers, bakers, roasters, artists and entertainment coordinators, they have a unique opportunity to collaborate on the design of thoughtful events. For example, event themes often carry through from the music lineup to the bakery and drink menu (expect holiday-themed treats during the winter light show, and German-style pretzels during Oktoberfest performances). Some of Mozart’s events are now inextricably tied to its identity, such as their annual Christmas Lights Show, now in its 13th year, and their weekly “Late at the Lake” open mic nights. Leonard takes pride in these intentional collaborations that create the Mozart’s experience, saying he feels a combination of luck and being blessed.

Undeniably, part of the appeal of Mozart’s is that it grants us the illusion that we are floating on the lake. (The first time I took my 4-year old daughter, she asked if we were at a boat house!). It has created a welcoming gathering spot on some of the city’s prime real estate, allowing us to feel like we almost “co-own” this heavenly little piece of Lake Austin. For some runners and kayakers, it’s a morning ritual. For some college students, an evening study spot. For those who make their own schedules, it’s a place for business meetings. For families like my own, Mozart’s offers a shady and joy-filled haven where the parents can grab some much-needed caffeine while giving the kiddos a sweet treat.

“What keeps us focused on continuing to innovate and grow is that we genuinely believe we’ve been given a gift here.” Leonard says. “We have a responsibility to the many families that depend on Mozart’s for their livelihood and the many people in the community that depend on Mozart’s for fellowship and gathering and having a sense of place that is an important part of their lives. Keeping that relevant and sustainable and successful is an important objective. It’s an everyday objective here.”

Whether you enjoy a quiet early morning cappuccino watching the ducks and turtles, or a sunny afternoon cold brew under the cover of sprawling heritage oaks, you can find it here. And you can anticipate running into old friends, new friends, colleagues and acquaintances, because Mozart’s is truly a town square. “I’m looking forward to Mozart’s remaining relevant,” says Leonard. “I’m looking forward to Mozart’s continuing to reflect the genuine inclusiveness that the Austin, Texas community is.”

The famous facade

Order Up

First, choose your brew. From a refreshing and smooth cold draft latte to an impeccable classic cappuccino or bottomless drip coffee spanning light to dark roasts, there are plenty of options for coffee lovers.

In the mood for something savory? Go for one of four quiche varieties including gluten-free options like potato leek and sausage potato, or try the spinach feta or chicken and green chili empanadas.

Refueling after a morning run or paddleboarding session? Opt for cranberry walnut oatmeal or Greek yogurt with fresh berries and toasted almonds.

Looking for a sweet treat or evening pick-me-up? Try one of Mozart’s long-time favorites, such as the Texas pecan coffee cake with cinnamon sugar streusel, vegan chocolate chip cookies or a slice of their legendary Espresso d’Oro Opera Cake layered with chocolate ganache and espresso buttercream, which incorporates coffee specifically formulated for this delicious dessert.

Activities & Events

Mozart’s is host to a wide variety of live music almost every day.

Enjoy a refreshing paddleboard session in the “no-wake zone” with Lake Austin Calm. As of this summer, you can now paddleboard up for breakfast or a snack and Mozart’s will store your board, or rent a board and paddle out from their launch area after your morning brew.

Stop by the Mozart’s gift shop to find local gifts for the caffeine lovers in your life. Browse t-shirts, mugs and a wide selection of in-house roasted coffee beans.

Mozart’s hosts “Late at the Lake” open mic nights on Tuesdays from 8–11 p.m. Dozens of singer-songwriters, poets, comedians and professional musicians make their way to the stage to share their talents.

During the holidays, don’t miss the Mozart’s Christmas Light Show — a bonafide Austin tradition! Local light artist Katrine Formby works on the design and construction of a new, custom show each year. See the decks and trees filled with dazzling LEDs and grab holiday-themed coffee, cocoa, cookies and more.

About the Contributor

Stacey Ingram Kaleh is a native Texan and writer and editor for Edible publications. When she’s not eating at local restaurants and drinking Texas wine, she’s spending time outdoors in the Hill Country with her husband and two young daughters and soaking up as much live music and art as possible.