Real. Good. Coffee.
Meet Zane and Zach, owners of Gold Stripe Coffee Roasters in Lubbock, TX. The two brothers are changing the game of what quality coffee means in our region, roasting fresh coffee beans on site, offering the most naturally, fresh taste available.
The brothers are local to the region, growing up on a farm in Floyd County. “We started drinking coffee with Dad at a young age,” says Zach. “We were always interested in gadgets, and we were hobbyists. After trying several varieties of coffee, we eventually realized coffee could be more than Folgers.”
Zach also notes the added nostalgia that coffee brought for the brothers. “I had several allergies growing up, but coffee was the one thing I could drink, just like everyone else.”
As the two began careers, Zane expressed his interest in the coffee business and was advised by a boss to start a coffee catering service. So began Courier Coffee, the first take at coffee catering. In 2012, the brothers began booking events, growing clients, and learning the ins and outs of running a business.
“We found that a lot of clients were looking for barista training, latte art, how to brew cold brew coffee,” notes Zane. “That’s when we realized the demand for places opening coffee bars, and the supplier role we could play, business to business. We could be more than a coffee shop.”
Come 2016; the brothers opened a tasting room in Cactus Alley with three focuses: wholesale/retail coffee accounts, storefront/teaching events and espresso bar catering. The brothers currently roast five to eight origins of coffee beans at a time, all specialty grade and traceable information (farm name, region and country). There are no ambiguous coffee blends, and though the coffee beans are not grown here, they are about as local as we can ask for in the Llano Estacado, as the green seeds are purchased from tropical regions, and roasted right here in Lubbock, TX. The coffee is typically available in three to six-month time spans, to support the seasonal windows and natural transition from harvesting. The inventory at Gold Strip is prime and fresh in flavor.
Zane and Zach invite you to get your taste of the freshest coffee on the Llano during FREE coffee tastings on Thursdays at 9 am at Cactus Alley (2610 Salem). You can also register for coffee classes (upcoming April 7th class available now), or sign up for the monthly subscription that offers your favorite coffee blends, fresh from the roaster.
Follow Gold Stripe Coffee Roasters on Facebook, and check out their website here!