When Bastrop residents Lauren and Chris Rios opened their coffee shop in town two months ago, they weren’t just serving lattes—they were brewing a new gathering spot for locals craving caffeine and connection.

“We started probably about a year and a half ago with the idea,” Lauren Rios told Community Impact. “Then it was just going through all the preparations of what is it we're trying to do? How do we do this the right way?”

Now, Horizons Coffee Bar, which held a grand opening celebration on Oct. 30, is in business and gathering crowds near Sunny Hill Juice.

The details

Lauren Rios emphasized the warm welcome the Bastrop community has given to date.


“People absolutely love it,” she said. “We're all familiar with the coffee shops that have been around for a while—the Starbucks and all that. Those are great places. But a lot of people like having another option that is local.”

The husband and wife duo credited their staff at Horizons Coffee Bar.

“We really hire based on customer service personality, and then we train the rest,” Lauren Rios said. “So a lot of people come back because they like seeing us every day. We either start or end their day. So that's why we've gotten a good response.”

Chris Rios shared that sentiment and added that their numbers have been steadily climbing.


“We're excited,” he said. “We've got some good regulars that come in on a regular basis. We're still finding new faces that come in every day too. So far, it's been nothing but positive.”
Horizons Coffee Bar operates out of a trailer in the parking lot of a Shell gas station. (Joel Valley/Community Impact)
The menu

In addition to drip and craft coffees, Horizons Coffee Bar serves teas, smoothies, hot chocolate and more.

Chris Rios highlighted that a Christmas menu will begin Nov. 3 and be available through New Year’s Eve.

“So we'll have a new round of drinks coming up,” he said. “It's more Christmas themed. Right now, it's all about pumpkin for our fall menu. So for the Christmas menu, it'll be more peppermint, pistachios and those sorts of things.”
Horizons Coffee Shop showcased its menu of coffees, teas and more during its grand opening celebration Oct. 30 in Bastrop. (Joel Valley/Community Impact)
The outlook


The Rioses have a goal to expand their business in the near future.

“We want to do either multiple trailers or even a brick-and-mortar,” Lauren Rios said. “We're looking at different options over the next 18 to 24 months. But right now, we are here, and if this keeps going the way it has been, we may just keep this trailer here.”