It’s 12:32pm at Austin’s Coffee.
A local artist, Alexander “ARS” Watkins is bringing in his custom-designed shoes and cartoon/comic-inspired work for a month-long display. Owners Jackie and Sean are busy milling around; he is putting up some new shelves and displays, she has has been showing off her freshly made “coffee-kicks” since 11am.
Speaking of freshly made, the smell of the coffee roaster is wafting the scent of FairTrade organic beans through the booths. The air is filled with sounds of cars passing by (Austin’s is on Fairbanks Ave, what do you expect); the tap-tap-tap of keys from the students, lunch-breakers and hang-outers; and the laughs of a group of Rollins’ students behind me talking about the “worst birthday ever” and how the one girl is “such a whale” because she won’t stop dipping into the tempeh.
The other buzz going on in the air is definitely newsworthy: the move to 24-hours.
Yep, you heard it right. All-day, all-night.
For seven years now, Austin’s has been serving up hot coffee & tea (and even beer!), freshly made salads and sandwiches – vegan and non-vegan – and a huge heaping of atmosphere to its customers. Just about everyone with a 407 or 321 area code has at least stepped in the door here, and most if not all have been back several times. Normally, closing time is 11pm or 1am, depending on the day. Early risers like myself (sometimes) or late late nighters like myself (usually) tend to miss the 7 or 8am opening, though.
They are hoping to change all that August 1st, when they make the big schedule change.
I sat down over a glass of passion fruit iced tea with the coffee maven herself, Jackie.
OCC: Well, first off what inspired the change to a 24-hour shift?
J: It’s been a long time coming. For about 4 years now I’ve toyed with the idea. It wasn’t until recently, after speaking with a mutual friend that I decided to go for it. For the longest time, people were staying as long as we would let them. Some nights we close at 11pm, and people would be still coming in around 1am. It was just a natural progression.
OCC: Words that come to mind to describe Austin’s Coffee. First 3 – GO!
J: Community. Coffee. Shop.
OCC: What is the most popular item on the menu?
J: Hmm. Tough question. Non-vegan, the Chipotle Chicken Panini; Vegan, the Eggless Egg Salad Sandwich. The vegan population can rarely get “eggs”…so it’s hugely popular.
OCC: Where do you think the phrase “Cup O Joe” came from?
J: I read it somewhere once! There actually is a good story behind it..but I can’t think of it right now. [Ed Note: most likely as a slang version of "java" or "jamoke"]
OCC: What’s so important about FairTrade coffee?
J: It’s pretty involved, but it brews down to the farmers being able to produce a high-quality bean at an honest price. They are shown how to make their farms FairTrade-friendly and are given the tools and the promise to support their employees and their families. Most importantly, they get to make a fair living, and we get some of the best coffee you can find. We pay more, of course, but it’s worth it.
OCC: What’s your favorite coffee or tea?
J: The sweet iced coffee. It’s also our number one seller.
OCC: And finally, what do you think has made Austin’s such a staple in the Orlando scene?
J: There’s really two segments to our popularity. First, the coffee lovers. People that come in and who know (or may not know) about the quality of the coffee here. Similar to the organic food boom, organic coffee isn’t much different. Last and certainly not least, the art & culture crowd. A lot of our baristas are artists themselves, much like our customers. But it’s not rare to come in and see someone painting, or playing guitar, or just lounging around. It’s a comfort zone for most people, and that’s why we love it.
Aside from the menu, Austin’s is known for hosting some great nights: comedy, open-mic, and even some touring musical artists. (Beat that, Borders!)
Also it’s worth noting, for you laptop-luggers, plenty of outlets – no more fighting for that one seat that someone is ALWAYS in.
You can check out some of the city’s best coffee at:
929 W. Fairbanks Ave.
Winter Park, Fl 32789
Ring! (407) 975-3364
They have 6 events coming up in October, so get your @$$ over there and get a latte. No “venti” needed.
For more info on Watkins’ work, check him out at RedBubble or drop him an email.
Popularity: 6% [?]
apparently wants to shove off eastward to Beantown, and “help” the Celtics recover from last year’s playoffs snafu.
