About Little City Coffee Roasters
Little City Coffee Roasters is an Austin, Texas specialty coffee roaster that began roasting in 1995, making it one of the first dedicated roasting operations in the city. Originally a Congress Avenue café from the early 1990s, the brand was revived in 2016 by fellow Austin roaster Casa Brasil, now operating as a wholesale and direct-to-consumer roaster.
About
Before Austin's specialty coffee scene filled with third-wave pour-over bars and minimalist espresso counters, Little City Coffee Roasters helped build the foundation it grew on. The downtown café opened in the early 1990s at 916 Congress Avenue and began roasting its own beans in 1995 — one of the first dedicated roasting operations in the city. For nearly two decades, that Congress Avenue address served as a downtown gathering place, drawing a wide mix of students, workers, and locals into what the Austin Chronicle called a hub that kept a melting pot of Austinites caffeinated and cultured.
The original café closed in 2011 when the building changed hands, but the Little City name carried enough weight in Austin's coffee culture that it did not stay dormant long. In 2016, fellow Austin roaster Casa Brasil revived the brand with a deliberate focus on wholesale — the avenue, as the team described it, that they truly understood. The revival preserved the name's identity as an Austin institution while redirecting its energy toward supplying the restaurants, offices, and coffee programs that make up the city's broader coffee economy.
Today, Little City operates primarily as a roaster and direct-to-consumer brand, with year-round blends alongside a rotating selection of limited microlots. Their sourcing has included a washed Veracruz coffee from Finca Fatima — long described as a Little City staple — and seasonal offerings from Ethiopia, Colombia, and Brazil. The Travelers Club subscription brings members a monthly 12-ounce microlot selection from a different coffee-growing region, paired with a grower card featuring tasting notes and producer background.
Little City's story is one of Austin coffee's longer arcs — a founding-era roaster that survived a closure, found new life under new stewardship, and kept its name tied to the city's coffee identity. For anyone tracing Austin specialty coffee back toward its origins, Little City sits near the beginning of that timeline, with a current operation still built on the same direct, quality-focused approach that defined the original.
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Coffee & Beans Review
Little City's roasting approach favors balance and approachability, with profiles that let origin character come through without pushing toward extremes in either direction. Their flagship Congress Avenue blend — named for the street where the original café stood — is described as a well-balanced cup with sweet caramel character, a classic style that reflects the brand's roots as a neighborhood roaster.
The product catalog divides between year-round blends and limited seasonal microlots. Recent offerings have included the Finca Fatima washed Veracruz, a long-standing Little City favorite described as a classic profile coffee, and the Ethiopia Hambela Buleye, with tasting notes of raspberry, cherry cola, and hibiscus tea. Coffees from Brazil and Colombia have also appeared in the microlot rotation. Subscription options include Blends on Repeat for consistent blend delivery and the Travelers Club for monthly microlot exploration from different growing regions.
For bean buyers, Little City is well-suited to both subscription and one-time purchase. The Travelers Club is the most structured entry point for adventurous drinkers, while blend subscriptions cover everyday reliability. Wholesale accounts are available directly through the website for commercial buyers.
Coffee at a Glance
- Roaster status
- Profiled
- Roasting style
- Balanced, approachable, origin-forward
- Best coffee drinks
- Congress Avenue Blend, Finca Fatima Washed Veracruz, Ethiopia Hambela Buleye Microlot
- Bean products
- Subscriptions
- Best buying path
- In store or subscription
- Online beans
- Check availability
- Specialty transparency
- Limited
What regulars say
Real reviews from Google — not ours, not paid.
★★★★★“Excellent coffee. Excellent customer service. Excellent shipping. I am very happy I stumbled across Little City Roasters. I live in Ohio and order beans online. I have tried a bunch of varieties and the quality is superior to any others. Well worth it and I continue to order from them.”
— Mike Z., via Google
★★★★★“Outstanding customer service. Was sent a coarse bag instead of fine for espresso. Eric replaced at no change and shipped same day. Plus the coffee is roasted fresh and tastes good :)”
— Bennett L., via Google
★★★★★“Amazingly delicious coffee. Always happy to see more small coffee roasters popping up. Nitro coffee on tap at Wheatsville is 🔥🔥🔥”
— Joseph R., via Google
What Little City Coffee Roasters Roasts
raspberry, cherry cola, hibiscus tea
See full sourcing detail & the producers behind these beans →
Coffee Profile
Origins
Flavor Notes
Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Little City Coffee Roasters have a café or retail location?+
Little City no longer operates a café. The original downtown café at 916 Congress Avenue ran from the early 1990s until 2011, when the building changed hands. The brand was revived in 2016 as a roaster focused on wholesale and direct-to-consumer bean sales through their website.
What is the history of Little City Coffee in Austin?+
Little City opened its downtown café on Congress Avenue in the early 1990s and began roasting its own beans in 1995, making it one of Austin's earliest in-house roasting operations. After the café closed in 2011, Austin roaster Casa Brasil revived the brand in 2016 with a focus on wholesale.
What is the Travelers Club and how does it work?+
The Travelers Club is Little City's monthly microlot subscription. Members receive a 12-ounce bag of a single-origin microlot coffee each month, along with a grower card featuring tasting notes and information about the producer. Active members also receive a 5% discount on non-subscription purchases at littlecity.com.
What roasting style does Little City use?+
Little City's style leans toward balanced, approachable profiles that highlight origin character. Their Congress Avenue blend is described as a well-balanced cup with sweet caramel notes, while their microlot offerings — such as a washed Veracruz and Ethiopian natural lots — reflect a more origin-forward approach.
Can I buy Little City coffee online?+
Yes. Little City sells year-round blends and limited seasonal microlots through their website at littlecity.com, with free shipping on orders over $40. Subscription options are also available, including the Travelers Club for monthly microlots and Blends on Repeat for consistent blend delivery at up to 20% savings.
What makes Little City distinctive among Austin roasters?+
Little City has one of the longer histories in Austin's specialty coffee scene — it was among the first roasters in the city when it began roasting in 1995, and its Congress Avenue café was a downtown institution for nearly two decades. The brand's revival under Casa Brasil and continued focus on microlots and wholesale keeps that legacy tied to Austin's current coffee culture.
Citations & Press
Third-party coverage and sources for Little City Coffee Roasters.
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