A filmmaker by trade, Jordan Thiem’s passion for coffee was uncovered during his 20s while traveling, shooting films and going to other coffee shops.

He was drawn to finding the most “unique” places to do his work and felt coffee shops were a “very expressive” environment for him to do that.

2 Rivers Coffee opened in 2008. It was purchased by the Thiem family in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic and was reinvented into what it is now.

The drink menu

2 Rivers Coffee brews its coffee in house with coffee beans from New Braunfels-based Friday Coffee Roasters. The shop also sells cold brew, nitro cold brew, espresso, pour over coffee and drip coffee.


Instead of nonfat milk, 2 Rivers uses a mixture of heavy whipping cream and vanilla to make cold foam.

“Our cold brew and then the cold foam cold brew is kind of our bread and butter,” Thiem said.

Aside from its caffeinated beverages, 2 Rivers Coffee offers an assortment of pastries, such as cinnamon rolls and Czech kolaches, which is a family recipe passed down from Thiem’s great-grandmother. The shop also offers gluten-free options.

What’s special about it?


Thiem emphasized 2 Rivers Coffee’s quality and environment is what separates it from other coffee shops.

The shop is furbished with disco balls, plants and an analog television that displays commercials for the coffee shop created by Thiem and his film director friends. The commercials are inspired by Adult Swim Bumpers, or Bumps, which are short clips shown to viewers before and after a Cartoon Network adult program is about to start again.

“It’s a very immersive room sandwiched between a retirement home and a gym,” Thiem said.