Secrets
LA BOÎTE
Austin, Tex.
Creativity Inside the Box
BY ANDREA C. BEARCE
I
n a city where Airstream trailers sell everything from sushi into fresh croissants and sandwiches du jour. All equipment to vegan fare, it’s hard to stand out as a creative entrepreneur. is second-hand, found either on Craigslist or eBay and to-go That is, unless, like Victoria Davies and Dan Berezcki, you have cups and containers are compostible. Even the water sold at La the guts to convert a shipping container into an all-green, Euro- Boîte is none other than Texas rainwater, collected and bottled in Dripping Springs. style coffee shop. Keeping with the local theme, Berezcki says he wanted to Perched atop a tiny hill in south Austin, La Boîte manages to be everything a shipping container isn’t. It’s bright, it’s airy and source coffee beans as close to home as possible. Working with it’s practically steeped in the infatuating scent of warm espresso environmentally conscious Owl Tree Coffee, he created an espresso blend with beans from Mexico, El Salvador and Brazil. and fresh-baked croissants. Berezcki and Davies have long-term plans to build an Berezcki says he originally set out to sell top-quality French entire house out of shipping containers, but decided to first pastries with a good cup of coffee but feels that his specially try their hands on a smaller building project. They sourced the sourced beans transformed the coffee from good to great. Customers may flock to La Boîte for the fancy macarons and 160-square-foot box on eBay and had a modern designer, Mark Meyer, turn their vision into reality. Now a whole side of the French press, but they stay for the sunny charm of this little box and the staff inside it. “We are genuinely friendly,” eight- by 20-foot shop slides open to reveal Berezcki says. “How can you be any other the chic interior constructed completely way? We want people to come back.” from natural and recycled materials. SQUARE FEET: But the duo’s commitment to 160 sustainability goes beyond fronting the ESPRESSO MACHINE: Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30-4:30, extra cash for soy-based insulation. They Astoria Saturday and Sunday 9-5. scour local markets for fresh ingredients Devina AEP2 1700 S. Lamar Blvd. #401 and have close relationships with farmers G RINDER : Austin, TX 78704 who provide the meat and cheese baked Mazzer Super Jolly
Gino Rossi RR45
58 | July 2010 • www.specialty-coffee.com