Skip to main content

Avoca, Fort Worth's Newest Independently-Owned Coffee Shop

A few people stand at the coffee bar ordering multiple shots of something hot, dark and delicious. They look satisfied as the owner explains what they’re drinking. Then they try another. More people walk in to do the same. They don’t take a seat, rather they just stand at the bar consuming multiple shots of coffee and talking with the baristas/owners behind the bar.

“That’s our business model; it’s to teach and help people learn about coffee,” Avoca co-owner Jimmy Story said. “We want people to know what they’re drinking and where it comes from.”

Some of us have to work, so I take a seat. This place is cool. It has a peaceful, friendly and local feeling about it. Maybe that’s because it IS friendly, local and peaceful. It is open with high ceilings, concrete floors and sliding glass garage-like doors that I assume they will roll open on a beautiful day. The music is not cacophonous either. 

Story and his coffee companion, Garold LaRue, opened Avoca March 17 on Magnolia just across from Spiral Diner. That's a mere 12 days ago, and this place is busy! LaRue has been in coffee for 14 years as a barista, and his family grew coffee in Nicaragua long before that. He’s known coffee his whole life, and has been brainstorming this place since October 2009.

Like a stalker I would drive by wondering when it was going to happen because the sign has been up for a while. I work mostly from home and am always looking for a great place to pitch my work cubicle tent for a few hours. I’m sure coffee shop people are like, “Great, here she comes. [I walk up to the counter] Will you be having the same today, Miss?” I wonder if they make bets on how long I’m going to occupy their valuable space. Dang! But I’ve found a new coffee shop victim that has bright, open space and phenomenal coffee. By the way, the latte was magnificent; it took me back to my old study abroad days in Rome.

After talking to LaRue and Story for a while about coffee, I became excited about my next experience there. Story explained how I should begin my java journey, which is to select a coffee origin first: Mexico, Peru, etc. Then select a roast and how I want the coffee prepared. Would you like the press pot or pour over method? Would you like steamed milk? How much? Would you like the milk poured over the top or blended into the coffee? Adding water will change the coffee notes too. Sounds overwhelming, but the owners are there to happily guide you through the coffee conundrum.

“Coffee has more notes than wine,” LaRue said. And each process changes those notes.

A customer may come up and say, “I want to try something new.” LaRue surprises them. He asks the patron to pay attention to notes in the coffee and to what they like and dislike. It reminded me of being fitted for a wedding gown (or a mountain bike for you men out there).

To the left of the coffee bar is a huge warehouse full of material where LaRue and Story roast their own coffee, which they sell as well. The warehouse also serves as a barista training center … like a culinary school for coffee or something. He said one day they hope to offer classes on roasting, brewing, frothing and steaming coffee. Sign me up.

LaRue has hopes for his new place — to bring in more customers and teach them about coffee and support local providers. “There are a lot of local businesses doing excellent work,” LaRue said. All of their goods are brought in from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Co-owner Jimmy Story at the end of a long day
So where did the name Avoca come from? Story said they originally had 253 potential names for the shop but settled on Avoca, which means “great mouth” in Gaelic. And I expect your mouth will have a great experience when you try this coffee. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Piola's and Other Great Fort Worth Patios

Spring is making the transition into summer, and people are looking for a great porch to dine and enjoy the weather. My favorite porch in town is at Piola Italian Restaurant and Garden on the corner of Haskell and Mattison in Fort Worth. The restaurant is inside a little house and tucked in a neighborhood on the west side. It can be hard to find, but is worth the search.  (Click for map) . It's even harder to find a place that has great food and a great patio that's not in a shopping center, which is why we love this place. The atmosphere is great inside and out. We went last weekend and enjoyed every bite of what we ordered. We can also be hard to please when it comes to the good-food-to-price ratio. We started with the giant calamari. It was fried and smothered in parmesan cheese and a sweet, spicy chili sauce. My husband ordered the baked ziti. He gave me some. The noodles were perfectly cooked al dente, and the five cheeses were rich and flavorful. Last week, I...

My Marfa 2020

By Jocelyn Tatum  I n the 12 years that I have been going to Marfa almost annually, a lot has changed. But the small-town-in-a-vast-desert charm has stayed the same. Here are a few things I always plan to do in my two days and two nights in Marfa.  First, drive. I know it seems like it is far away, and it is, but this road trip goes fast because there is no traffic headed west and away from civilization. Driving is part of the right of passage to get there. I also feel like I shed the societal sludge that builds up on my shoulders as I careen across Interstate 20.  Once you turn off onto HWY 17 in Pecos, the drive starts to transition from sulfur and pumpjacks to pure beauty. It always reminds me of my road trip though the Scottish Highlands. My thoughts change with the landscape. Again, no traffic and no crowds. A tip: when you do pass a fellow road warrior once you get into the mountains, give them the friendly L-shaped finger wave the locals do th...

Spring Break Series: Open Trail Rides in the North Texas Wild

It's been a while. I've missed you all.  Since this blog started five years ago to tell you about new and adventurous things to do in and around Fort Worth, I am here to help you with some ideas in the wild outdoors of the DFW backcountry just in time for planning your Spring Break.  You don't have to travel far and empty your bank account to have an exhilarating time this Spring Break. So I will do a little series on this blog of some great ideas. And be looking for my march issue cover story in Fort Worth, TX magazine that will have you exploring areas you never thought existed in our hometown. You just thought you had to go to Utah or Colorado to enjoy the great outdoors. And don't forget to click the links I've embedded into this post for more information.  Chisholm Trail Rides are the only OPEN trail riding experience in North Texas. Do you realize how happy this makes this thrill seeker?!? This is not your average trail ride where the horses walk at a s...