From belly dancers to Bible groups Star Coffee Texas embraced it all

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Local Star Coffee Texas in Round Rock has closed after 12 years welcoming everyone from belly dancers to Bible study groups.

“It was a bit like ‘Cheers’ but with coffee,” said former customer Tracey Lenz, referring to the popular 1980s television show about a friendly neighborhood bar.

Another coffee shop called Lamppost Coffee has opened in Star Coffees Place at 201 E. Main Street in downtown Round Rock. Lamppost Coffee has additional locations in Round Rock, Georgetown, Hutto, San Marcos and Austin.

Shawn Faulk, the owner of Star Coffee Texas, which also provided food and sometimes live music, said he decided to end his lease on June 26 because he was stressed to run the business during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Myself and Ashley (Brewer, the former manager) worked two months with no days off,” he said.

“I was a sole proprietor,” he said. “I’ve never had investors and the pandemic has hit me pretty hard financially.”

He said he couldn’t tell his customers that he was going to close for a number of reasons, including not wanting to scare off customers for Lamppost Coffee.

When he first opened Star Coffee Texas in 2009, Faulk said he wanted everyone to feel welcome.

“The idea was to create a community café where everyone can feel they are serving a purpose,” he said.

“They could be there on a date, be there on business, or just hang out with friends. That’s the feeling I wanted I didn’t want to make it too modern and cold. “

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Lenz said she met with her accounting clients at Star Coffee. She said she saw families bring their children to ice cream, as well as Bible study groups having discussions. High school students came for a sip of water on their way home, Lenz said.

“It was homely,” she said. Lenz said she was surprised and sad that the shop where she knew the names of all the baristas had closed.

Brad Gibbs, a hair colorist at the Breeze Salon and Spa on Main Street, said he often went to Star Coffee for breakfast burritos. “It had that Austin vibe; fun, laid-back, and relaxing,” he said.

Star Coffee also had artwork on the walls by local artists. including paintings by Johnny Williams, owner of the Good Times Tattoo Studio.

Williams said he wasn’t sure how well his painting of a six-legged panther would fit into a coffee shop. “Shawn said, ‘Are you kidding? Everything fits in here,'” Williams said.

Williams, whose shop is also on Main Street, said he’d gone to the cafe once or twice a day for five years.

READ:Round Rock, Georgetown customers trying to win back customers

The cafe opened in 2009 at 114 E. Main Street in a building that Faulk and his father owned until they decided to sell it in 2014. Faulk then rented a space for the shop across the street.

For the first few years the café was open, he had a belly dance night because he wanted to support a group that was doing it at the time.

“I also enjoyed being there and made a lot of friends,” said Faulk. “I feel like we did our best and achieved what we should be doing.

Faulk said he returned to the semiconductor industry, where he worked before the cafe opened.

Lamppost Coffee owner Brian Burns did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Lamppost coach, Ally Jordan, said the Round Rock Main Street location opened on July 3rd and is already “super fine”.

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