Two-minute impact
The coffee shop, which was originally called Rocket Boom after Henry Dillman, owner of Gordon Street Tavern, opened it in November 2018, nearly closed in May 2020.
Right before Dillman was set to tell his staff the store was closing, Strickland told him to hold off on that announcement.
“I said, ‘Can you hold off 24 hours on telling other people that you're closing?’ and he looked at me kind of puzzled, and said, ‘Sure, I can do that.’ Three days later, we bought it, owned it outright, and then we revamped it, renamed it, rebranded and called it 1820 Coffee House,” Strickland said.
What’s special about it?
The coffee shop, which serves lattes, cold brews, macchiatos and frappes, among other items, is named after the bible verse Matthew 18:20, which emphasizes bringing people together.
Strickland noted this verse especially rang true during the pandemic, as he viewed the coffee shop as a place for people to reunite.
“I think the way we have evolved is we have become a community staple,” he said. “People were ready to get back with other people, because a lot of people were separated from their work, they were separated from friends or family, and we were a place that was allowing people to come in and be together.”
- 419 W. Sealy St., Alvin
- www.1820coffeehouse.com
