After talking with his neighbors for years about a lack of a local coffee shop in Northwest Austin, Matt Allen decided to take matters into his own hands. Allen and his wife, Claire Hebner, opened Coffee Shark Espresso & Pints on Jan. 9 at 7300 RM 2222, Ste. 111, Austin, near Jester Boulevard. “We needed a good family-friendly place,” Allen said. The coffee shop offers a variety of espresso drinks, such as lattes and flat whites, using beans roasted by Austin-based Third Coast Coffee Roasting Co., as well as tea, hot chocolate and smoothies. Also for sale are pastries from Russell’s Bakery, slices of pizza from East Side Pies and housemade sandwiches, such as the Grilled PB&J ($5.50). Coffee Shark also has 18 taps of beer, including 12 local beers, and four wines on tap. Allen said the coffee shop also has a Steampunk, which is a machine that makes coffee similar to a French press or pour-over coffee. Allen said he is planning to host vinyl nights in the future and inviting customers to bring their own records. Later in 2017 a covered outdoor patio will open. Coffee Shark is open Mon.-Thu. 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri. 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sun. 7 a.m.-8 p.m. For more information call 512-505-8051 or visit www.coffeeshark.com.