The couple took ownership of Redbud in 2016 from Austin and Mary Van Zant to fully immerse themselves in the coffee world. Redbud features a variety of fair trade coffee beans from around the globe providing unique flavors brewed locally for the community.
After purchasing Redbud Roasters, Rios and Molina began roasting their own coffee beans and selling them to local businesses such as Weusi Wellness Cafe and The Cornucopia.
As the company’s bean roaster, Molina oversees the quality and consistency of the product by keeping a close eye on the production process. But running a “little coffee empire,” as Rios puts it, is no easy task during a pandemic.
“Our customers have been keeping us afloat—we’ve been really lucky,” Rios said. “If it wasn’t for all of them, we couldn’t keep our doors open—that means a lot to us.”
According to Molina, the coronavirus pandemic has presented great challenges for the business, but it also brought more exposure to Redbud.
Although the roastery is closed for most of the week except for order pickups, whole bean coffee bags typically sold at Redbud are now displayed at Jo’s Cafe, which allows for what Molina refers to as “tiny coffee education,” or the opportunity for customers to try different types of coffee.
“Coffee is important,” Rios said. “For [our customers] it’s a moment of normalcy, something familiar that they can go back to during these crazy times.”
Redbud Roasters
169 S. LBJ Drive, San Marcos
512-667-6881 | www.redbudroasters.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Sun.
Call ahead to verify hours, which may vary due to COVID-19.
