Lubbock’s beloved coffee house, Sugar Brown’s, closed its doors four years ago. But thanks to the overwhelming support of Lubbock locals, new owner Justin Stice is serving quality coffee to the public once again.
A Kickstarter campaign to reopen the coffee shop raised $20,420 from 155 backers this spring.
“Our goal was $20,000, which we met, which was pretty amazing,” Stice said. “Raising that much money on Kickstarter shows you how big of a deal Sugar Brown’s was and is because there is such a huge following, and we were able to meet that goal, so that was awesome.”
He has reopened Sugar Brown’s at a new location—1947 19th street—directly across from Lubbock High School, between Texas Tech and the depot and arts districts.
Stice, who purchased the business from his friend Justin Barnard, said the new location is bringing in original supporters as well as new customers.
“We’ve had a great response, so we’re excited about growing even more,” Stice said. “It’s kind of cool there’s all of the people who used to know Sugar Brown’s and there’s a whole new audience beginning to get to know us for the first time.”
Jerod Foster, a professor of practice in the College of Media & Communication who attended Tech in the early 2000s, said Sugar Brown’s was a major part of his generation’s college experience in Lubbock. He was disappointed to see the old location close.
“To have it back, even under new ownership and in a new location, just seems like a big part of Lubbock’s social scene made it back to town,” Foster said.
Stice said he thinks the coffee house is so beloved and popular among the public not only because of the great quality coffee products, but also because of the service.
“All of our baristas, all of our staff understand that the most important thing is the people that come in the door,” Stice said. “So we make sure that we really connect and serve the people that come in here.”
The old location was popular for its live music venue, Stice said, and he wants to continue embracing not only music, but also local artists and writers.
“We’re really excited about being that place again where local artists can kind of show their craft,” Stice said.
He said Sugar Brown’s will also host singer and songwriter nights, have live music on Fridays and Saturdays, showcase local artists’ work, and, starting in November in conjunction with Tech, will host a storytelling night.
Beyond providing good coffee, personable service, and showcasing local art, when it comes down to it, Sugar Brown’s is really about community building.
Foster recalled spending at least four mornings a week at Sugar Brown’s while working on his first book—enjoying his regular pot of mint green tea with a kolache, and visiting with other locals he would run into on a regular basis.
“Coffee shops are great congregators of people and community, and Sugar Brown’s was especially good at fostering a feeling of community among its regulars,” Foster said.
Added Stice: “I think we have this idea that it’s a coffee shop, and it’s not. It’s a place to come and hang out and belong, and you kind of create this community, so with coffee and conversations begins this really cool place.”
About Nicole Crites
