Nikki Loyd picked Humble as a place to grow roots with her husband, artist William Loyd, because of a house they fell in love with. They moved to Humble five years ago from Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, where they owned The Starving Artist Art Gallery, which is now permanently closed. The Loyds opened Nectar - A Nitro Cafe, or Nectar Cafe for short, in a space that used to house The Honey Baked Ham Co. on Nov. 16, 2017. In spite of various differences between the customers who visit the shop, Nectar Cafe’s customers can bond with one another over the food and coffee served at the cafe, Nikki said. “What’s nice is that we have so many regulars who probably don’t vote the same way as each other or go to the same church or synagogue,” Nikki said. “But it really is a place where community becomes unified over coffee and food. Bringing unity to the community is very important to us as a family and as individuals.” The dairy-free hot coffee drink called the Nutrino is one of Nikki’s signature drinks. The Kopi Luwak is a $40 cup of coffee; the coffee grounds, which are ordered online, are wild-harvested by the Indonesian civet cat, Nikki said. The rich, smooth coffee is prepared in a French press and served in a copper pot. “I didn’t want to be just another coffee shop. I wanted to create an experience,” Nikki said. “We serve really good food quickly.” In addition to the owners, seven people work at the cafe preparing coffee, waffles, nitrogen-fused ice cream, and treats such as the Dragon’s Breath, which is made with corn puffs. Nectar Cafe hosts an artist meet-and-greet event called The Artist Sojourn during the evening on one Friday of the month. The walls display a rotation of an artist’s work, providing the artist an opportunity to be seen and to sell. “I see us as a place where we are helping people design a different lifestyle, whether in their house or in their stomach,” Nikki said. Nectar Cafe 7560 FM 1960, Humble 281-570-6555 www.nitronectar.cafe Hours: Mon.-Tue. 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Wed.-Thu. 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-8 p.m.