• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Write
  • Intern
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact

The Austinot

Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.

  • Things To Do
    • Things To Do This Weekend
    • Things To Do This Week
    • Things To Do This Weekend With Kids
  • Discoveries
    • Austinot Loves
    • Activities
    • Day Trips
    • Local Business
  • Food & Drink
    • Food
    • Drink
  • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Film
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Theatre
  • Culture
    • Arts
    • History
    • Museums
  • Et Cetera
    • Non-Profits
    • Podcast
    • Archives

Austin Coffee Shops Hunt #4: Bennu Coffee

May 30, 2012 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

At first glance, Bennu Coffee adds a touch of elegance to the Austin coffee shops scene. Walk through its doors and you’ll see high-backed chairs surrounding varnished tables and counter tops. Elegant sofas line the walls beneath paintings and pictures from local artists. A grandfather clock slowly ticks across the room.

Look a little deeper though, scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find that Bennu Coffee is more than an upscale coffee house. Over the years, it has partnered with many environmental, social and cultural organizations to make Austin, Texas a better place to live. Plus the coffee is delicious and it’s a great place to study – that too.

History and Mission of Bennu Coffee

Created from an abandoned antique shop in 2009, Bennu Coffee is the creation of Stephanie Hogue and Steve Williams. Together, they built a place where coffee and local food meets social activism. Nearly all of Bennu’s coffee is fair trade, and Bennu is dedicated to reducing its waste output by using recyclable or compostable materials.

Bennu Coffee has close relationships with over twenty charities like LifeWorks, Austin Pets Alive! and The Yellow Bike Project. In addition to the staggeringly broad amount of social activism, Bennu Coffee keeps Austin money in Austin by offering local cuisine like Torchy’s Tacos and Hoboken Pies. It’s nice to see a local business that is passionate about its community and city. This is part of the reason why Austinites continue to spend their money here. The other reasons are the atmosphere and the coffee, of course.

How Does the Atmosphere Compare to Other Austin Coffee Shops?

The atmosphere inside Bennu Coffee changes as the day progresses. Since it is open 24 hours a day, different types of people walk in for different reasons. The morning crowd tends to be a mixture of people looking to get their caffeine fix. Students slowly begin to fill Bennu’s inviting couches and spacious tables as the day progresses. It is a stone’s throw from the University of Texas, after all. The night time crowd is extremely relaxed and the music ranges from ambient to electronic.

The Bennu bird is the Egyptian equivalent of the Phoenix, the soul of the sun god Ra.

Despite the spacious interior, Bennu Coffee can become very crowded during the morning and afternoon. Expect to share a large table with somebody else if you don’t want to wait for the rush to die down.

You can press your own French press!

There is an abundance of power outlets, so this is a perfect place to relax and chat after work and school. There is a one-drink minimum, however, to ward off wifi-moochers.

A regular French press coffee will cost you $2.50, so the drink requirement shouldn’t be too hard to swing. There is also a $5.00 minimum if you want to pay with a card without a small additional fee.

Then There’s the Coffee

As far as coffee goes, the joe at Bennu Coffee ranks among the most creative you’ll find in any Austin coffee shop. Most famous are its Gourmet Mochas. Keeping with the sophisticated and student-friendly feel, the gourmet mochas are named after great pieces of literature. The Don Quixote is an Azteca D’Oro Spiced Chocolate Mocha, topped with spiced Mexican powder and homemade whipped cream. It’s more than enough to sate your sweet tooth, as well as your need for caffeine.

Similarly, the Pride and Prejudice drink is a chocolaty and creamy mocha, topped with homemade whipped cream and chocolate powder. It is the most popular gourmet mocha that Bennu offers. The baristas were more than happy to explain the contents of each drink to me, which speaks to their knowledge and approachability.

Bennu Coffee Takeaways

Bennu Coffee is a haven for any student looking to study through the night. The people and music are low-key and quiet. Fueled by a passion for local businesses and charities, Bennu Coffee does its part to make Austin a great place to live. Head here if you want creative coffee and some local grub during your study session. Check it out at 2001 E. MLK Blvd. Austin, Tx 78702.

 

@DustyVegas asks:

What do you drink at Bennu Coffee?

 

Bennu on Urbanspoon

Have you checked out our previous Austin coffee shop reviews?

Filed Under: Drink, Food & Drink Tagged With: austin coffee shop hunt, coffee shops, south austin

Best of The Austinot

We always have unique content on The Austinot and we love to give things away. You know, like concert tickets, gift cards, and other cool stuff. We only send out our “Best of the Austinot” newsletter twice a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of The Austinot here!

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Connect with Us

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of A...

    To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of Austin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Things to do

Things to do in Austin this weekend

10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of July 8, 2022 Include Austin FC Watch Party, Balloon Fest, and More!

  For summer camp information, check out our page for Best Summer Camps in Austin for 2022!  If you would like to discover more Things to do in Austin this Week & Things to do in Austin with Kids this Weekend, check out Facebook for immediate notifications.

Things to do in Austin this week

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of July 4, 2022 include Round Rock Express Vs. Albuquerque, Cedar Park Fourth, and more!

Austin is now among the fastest-growing metroplexes in the US! Keeping up with the growth, luckily there’s plenty going on in Austin all days of the week. There are things to do on Monday in Austin, of course, things to do in Austin on Saturday night, and everything in between! Some of you may be […]

Things to do in Austin with kids this weekend

Top 10 Things to Do in Austin with Kids this Weekend of July 1, 2022 include Bastrop Patriotic Festival, Family Game Night, and More!

If there’s one thing about this city, it’s that there is always something going on. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of July 1, 2022, there’s plenty of fun to be had, including Dive In Movies – Wells Branch, Bastrop Patriotic Festival, and more!   Top […]

texas swimming holes near austin

Texas swimming holes near Austin – 10 watering holes for a fun swim this summer

If you have been looking for free places to swim in Austin or googling ‘swimming holes near me’, you are in the right place! Texas is known for a lot of things and one of them is relentlessly hot summers. The temperatures are rising in Austin and across the state. Luckily, there are also many […]

Austin trampoline parks - Urban Air Adventure Park (Cedar Park)

Austin Trampoline Parks – Best Indoor Jumping Places for Kids and Adults!

Trampoline parks were among the decade’s most unique leisure attractions. They offer a playful atmosphere where people can defy the laws of physics and have a good time hurling themselves around. It consists of a large room filled wall to wall with trampolines. On the weekend, you may get rid of your boredom and have […]

Recent Posts

  • 10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of July 8, 2022 Include Austin FC Watch Party, Balloon Fest, and More!
  • 10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of July 4, 2022 include Round Rock Express Vs. Albuquerque, Cedar Park Fourth, and more!
  • Top 10 Things to Do in Austin with Kids this Weekend of July 1, 2022 include Bastrop Patriotic Festival, Family Game Night, and More!
  • 4th July events in Austin: Independence day 2022 fireworks, parades, concerts & other celebrations!
  • Texas swimming holes near Austin – 10 watering holes for a fun swim this summer

Welcome to The Austinot

We are all about Austin: the vibe, the people and the uniqueness of the city. We love to explore. Get to know us! We’ll respond if you comment. Heck, we’ll probably invite you to come and hang out with us!

Follow along to help support and learn more about local businesses, artists, and events.

-The Austinot Team

Privacy Policy

Trending Posts

  • 10 Best Lakes in and around Austin
  • 7 Popular Lady Bird Lake Activities to Experience This Year
  • 20 Restaurants Open Late in Austin – Best Late Night Food Places For Tasty Eats
  • Day Trip in Austin: 10 Places To Visit Like a Tourist
  • Guide to Austin’s Dirty Sixth Street

Copyright © 2022 · Log in

wpDiscuz