Kick Butt Coffee Music & Booze

Specialties

«With a name like Kick Butt, you’d think the atmosphere in these coffeehouses would lean toward assertive – or at least jittery. „Kick back“ is far more descriptive. Unpretentious and un-​corporate, Kick Butt Coffee and Live Music Cocktail Bar is the creation of Austin’s renowned Tai Chi and Kung Fu master, Thomas Gohring (pictured right). Here you’re just as likely to bump into artists, musicians and poets as you are entrepreneurs, office workers and bean counters.

The art of latte-​making has been mastered. Deliciously original „samiches“ named for legends like Jackie Chan are featured on the menu. And don’t resist treating yourself to the „Ying Yang“ white and black chocolate cake.

Kick Butt Coffee and Live Music Cocktail Bar has earned its well-​deserved black belt in mouth-​watering fare and entertaining yet relaxed ambience. The only thing you’ll have to fight here is the impulse to sip, eat and linger all day and night.»

— Magic 95.5 FM

History

Established in 2008.

«While chatting with a bank teller about the lack of coffee shops along Airport Boulevard, Thomas Gohring came up with what he thought was a kick-​butt idea. Merging his love of martial arts with the community’s need for a little pick-​me-​up, he opened Kick Butt Coffee [February 2008] and then Kick Butt Coffee in The Triangle [July 2009]. Red walls, nunchucks, bamboo and oriental fans illustrate the business’ ties to martial arts. The shop, which serves coffee, smoothies, pizza, breakfast frittatas, sandwiches, wine, beer and liquor, has round, cozy booths, a giant plasma screen TV and a Wii gaming system. Amenities at the new 2^nd location include a giant projection screen, a swimming pool and a Wii. But Gohring wanted to build more of a nighttime business with a full bar as well. He asked his sister, a stand-​up comedian, to help start a weekly open mic night, and Kick Butt Comedy was born. The coffee shop even opens its stage to 100s out-​of-​town musicians, for sxsw.» — Austin Monthly

Meet the Business Owner

Thomas G.

Business Owner

Kick Butt Coffee was conceived by Thomas R. Gohring in the wee morning hours of April, 25^th, 2007. The day before, while making a deposit at Bank of America, he made a comment to the teller that it was peculiarly slow at the bank. There were no other customers. He gestured that there is usually a long line of… and he made some motions like a zombie when the other teller says, «yeah, there are no coffee shops around here, I wish there were a Starbucks or something close by.» The seed was planted.

The fact that there are no coffee shops in the Airport Blvd. corridor, in combination with having a friend who worked part time at another local coffee shop contributed to the idea taking root. It has now evolved into community centers where artists, business people and students, from a variety of backgrounds, come together for good coffee and/​or cocktails and friendly service in positive environment where they can get feedback on their craft.