Justin Terry said the decision to open Summermoon Coffee in Buda was a good one, and he suspects the company’s plans to grow into Kyle and San Marcos in the near future will be equally successful.
Terry and his wife, Amanda, were living in Buda and noticed the city’s downtown did not have many options for those seeking a good cup of coffee. The couple opened the coffee shop at 316 N. Main St., Buda, in April 2014.
“It’s been a great shop,” Terry said. “The community here is awesome. We love the people out here. It’s been really fun being out here.”
The shop serves a variety of beverages—caffeinated and otherwise—as well as breakfast tacos from Borrego de Oro, pastries from Texas French Bread, bagels from Wholly Bagel and sandwiches from Bonjour Texas.
Terry said although the food suppliers were chosen carefully, the shop’s food offerings are only meant to complement Summermoon’s focus: coffee.
Bruce and Dustin Karnes brew the company’s coffee on custom-built wood hearths, an oddity in an industry Terry said is mostly dominated by gas and electric coffee-roasting systems.
“[The wood] really just allows the coffee flavor to come out unencumbered with anything else,” Terry said. “It’s really pure. There’s a natural affinity between coffee and wood. It’s natural elements.”
The company’s most popular drink is the Half Moon ($4.50, 12-ounce), which is made with espresso, skim milk and the shop’s proprietary sweetener, Moon Milk. The Summermoon ($4.50, 12-ounce) is a richer drink that cuts the skim milk in favor of Moon Milk.
Terry said Bruce and Dustin created the Moon Milk concoction before they launched the company’s first coffee shop on South First Street in Austin. The recipe for the sweetener, which Terry said is made with “seven secret ingredients,” has not changed since the company’s first shop opened.
The company leased 1,800 square feet at 4217 Benner Road, Kyle, in September. Terry said the Kyle location will be the company’s largest and will feature a drive-thru in addition to a large indoor seating area.
Additionally the company has made plans to open two shops in San Marcos—one at Ella Lofts, 817 Chestnut St., and a second at Springtown Mall. Terry estimated the Ella Lofts location could be open by March.
In addition to new Hays County stores, the company’s growth has led to new shops in Frisco, San Antonio and throughout the Austin area.
Terry said Summermoon’s goal is to appeal to casual coffee drinkers as well as those seeking a “craft” experience.
This broad appeal has helped the company’s growth, he said.
“I don’t want to leave any of those customers out that may love a sweeter coffee drink like a Summermoon latte or a Winter Moon, but we still want to offer that craft experience,” Terry said. “We can do that because our roasting method is so unique that we offer something that’s truly different.”
