Kohiko runs on a mission of omotenashi, or hospitality, and leans on family, intense coffee experience and community, cofounder Nicolas Tanaka said. (Courtesy Kohiko)
Kohiko Coffee House cofounder Nicolas Tanaka spent a week in Brazil meeting coffee farmers, won the World Latte Art Championship twice and later became a licensed coffee grader.
Years later, that knowledge came to life as Kohiko, a Japanese-inspired coffee shop in Sugar Land. Still, the thing that stands out is not his coffee-trail of experience, but the intense focus on family and hospitality.
On the menu
The Japanese-American coffee house’s signature drinks include an Okinawa latte of black sesame and brown sugar, Nicolas Tanaka said. Another popular item is a moshi moshi, meant to honor his grandma with the taste of banana bread, made of matcha, espresso, banana and brown sugar.
The shop also offers houjicha, brewed teas and drip or pour-over coffee, per its website.
The mission
Kohiko runs on a mission of omotenashi, or hospitality, Nicolas Tanaka said. He opened the location with his sister and cofounder Krystal Tanaka, hoping to give the community a third space.
“We felt like it was part of the mission to create a more collective space of allowing people to sit, enjoy and feel that hospitality and warmth for more than a two-minute interaction,” Krystal Tanaka said.
Over the summer, the shop opened the Kohiko lounge two doors down from their shop with more seating and a new retail section, which features local vendors and Kohiko merchandise, he said.
(Pili Saravia/Community Impact)
Local businesses often partner with Kohiko for pop-ups. The company has partnered with Underground Creamery, Soft + Salted, Burger Bodega and La Placita, per its Instagram.
Looking back
When the siblings opened the shop in July 2024, they chose Sugar Land because they grew up in the area and attended Fort Bend ISD.
“We have roots here,” Krystal Tanaka said. “We get to see teachers that used to teach us come by. We see friends here. We see family members come by.”
Krystal Tanaka said growing up, she felt like people viewed anything different as weird, but she sees a more diverse environment now. Opening a cultural coffee shop in the place she grew up gave her the opportunity to embrace her culture’s originality.
The cafe also honors their late grandfather with a phrase he often said, “You do that pretty good,” written on their merch, Krystal Tanaka said. The business is run through a family effort, she said, so their mom waters the plants, their dad does repairs and their out-of-state barista brother picks up occasional shifts.
“We're rooted in things that are valuable to us as a family,” she said.
(Pili Saravia/Community Impact)
Looking ahead
Nicolas Tanaka said this is currently their only location, but they are looking to open a second shop, although a timeline and location have not been announced.
