But no walls separate these interior spaces—one can watch coffee being roasted while placing an order or peek in on a coffee-making class from across the room.
This is the vision Jacob Ibarra, Tenfold’s founder and managing director, had for the space after spending years as a buyer for specialty coffee brands.
“My goal here was to basically drive curiosity,” Ibarra said. “Here in Houston, there’s not that many roasters visible. ... I wanted [customers] to see us doing work; I wanted them to ask questions.”
Since opening in June 2020, Ibarra went from hosting tented events in Tenfold’s parking lot to partnering with other local businesses, such as fellow Heights coffee concept Wild as well as Jordi Roca’s Rocambolesc in Uptown Park.
Ibarra said he plans to move the roaster to a large warehouse space and renovate the footprint of the Aurora Street location to include updates, such as an expanded merchandise shelf. The company’s first line of merchandise features a nod to the brand’s partners in several Spanish-speaking countries: “Somos Tenfold,” or “We are Tenfold.”
Tenfold has partners in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Brazil, Colombia, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Burundi.
Ibarra also teased his plans to create a cold brew venue concept.
In addition to classes on subjects such as espressos and latte art, Tenfold hosts various events each month, such as tastings from local restaurants.
Through these Saturday classes, Ibarra has gotten to know his customers.
“If you spend two hours teaching somebody, you learn about them,” he said. “And so, it is so cool to see those people here, because you got this shared experience, and it’s like, yes, they’re customers, but they’re friends.”
Tenfold Coffee hosts events and classes throughout the month, typically on Saturdays.
Feb. 18: Specialty series, espresso (1-3 p.m.)
Feb. 18: Neighborhood series, cafe quality coffee at home (4-6 p.m.)
Feb. 25: Specialty series, latte art (1-3 p.m.)
Feb. 25: Neighborhood series, cafe quality coffee at home (4-6 p.m.)
Tenfold Coffee
101 Aurora St., Houston
www.tenfoldcoffee.com
Hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
