The Story
Merit Coffee was founded in 2009 by Robby Grubbs, Bill Ellis, and Javier Lobo, initially operating under the name Local Coffee in San Antonio . Merit first earned its stripes as a multiroaster cafe , establishing itself in what became known as the third wave coffee movement in San Antonio. In 2018, the Local Coffee retail brand and sibling roasting brand Merit Roasting Co. began to unify under the Merit name , marking a pivotal transformation in the company’s evolution.
In 2020, Ellis and Lobo purchased all assets of the company, with Ellis assuming the role of CEO . The company underwent significant expansion, moving from its original 2,400 sq. ft. old warehouse on San Antonio’s Southside that they renovated in 2014 to a 55-year-old midcentury modern building acquired in early 2020, where Merit’s Probat P25 roaster, Probat G45 Retro roaster and related production equipment now spread out over roughly 5,400 square feet .
Founded in 2009 in San Antonio, Merit Coffee has grown from a single café and roastery into a beloved Texas brand known for sourcing and serving exceptional coffee. With 13 locations spanning San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, Merit is committed to providing thoughtfully crafted coffee experiences in warm, welcoming spaces—anchored by a deep focus on community and quality . Merit Coffee Company is expanding once again in the capital city, opening its fourth Austin café on Saturday, February 14, in the vibrant Mueller neighborhood , and plans to bring the Merit café experience to Houston in 2026 .
Sourcing & Relationships
Merit personally sources many of the batches of beans they roast, literally traveling to the growers to sample their coffee, negotiate a fair price and arrange shipment to San Antonio . Grubbs searches the top coffee-producing countries around the world and builds relationships with farmers and small suppliers to ensure access to the finest beans available. In just this year, Grubbs has made or planned trips to Brazil, Kenya, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala .
Many of their specialty beans come from a single farm or even from a specific area on the farm (micro-terroir), so they are limited in quantity and superior in quality. They work to establish strong, long-term relationships based on good coffee and fair prices . The company’s team travels to farms in Central and South America and Africa to build direct relationships with growers, taste harvests, and select limited, high-quality coffees — often from small lots or specific sections of a farm .
Christian Rotsko, who has led sourcing and roasting programs for numerous specialty coffee companies for more than 15 years, joined Merit as director of green coffee in February 2022. The company emphasizes transparency and traceability, with rigorous sourcing practices and direct relationships with coffee farmers. They conduct cupping sessions to evaluate flavor profiles and ensure that only the best beans are selected. The company also emphasizes transparency in its supply chain, allowing customers to trace the origin of their coffee .
Roasting Philosophy
Merit operates on a 25 & 45kg Probat roaster, custom-built for us in Germany , housed in their state-of-the-art facility . Their roasting approach is methodical and quality-focused: Once the beans reach us, we roast test batches, cup, taste, adjust, test some more, and finally - establish the perfect roast profile for the beans . The roasting team continually tests, cups, and refines each batch to bring out its best expression before it ever reaches a customer’s cup .
Kim Balzen oversees roasting operations, which is currently made possible through the work of Jacob Gregoire, Zadik Rivera and Jacob Raley . The company’s philosophy centers on precision and consistency— the roaster itself and the expert use of the equipment have just as much to do with the quality of your brew as the sourcing. Instead of hiring experienced roasters from outside the city, Grubbs sent an employee to NYC to learn roasting techniques from top coffee consultants , demonstrating their commitment to developing local talent.
They package the whole beans fresh from the roaster – rich, aromatic, at the peak of perfection . This attention to detail reflects their broader philosophy where their foundation at Merit is built on the pursuit of perfection across three different areas: roasting, sourcing and brewing. An exploration into the next great thing, the next great micro-lot, the next great growing region, the next great tasting experience .
What to Try
Merit’s signature offering is their Parainema from Santa Bárbara, Honduras—carefully washed and slowly dried for clarity and sweetness. Notes of caramel apple, walnuts, and raw honey. Bright. Balanced. True . Their current lineup includes Nahun Fernandez Parainema Honey from Santa Barbara, Honduras ($29.00), La Senda Reserva from Acatenango, Guatemala with Carbonic Maceration ($30.00), and Gatare Site from Nyamasheke, Rwanda ($24.00) .
For espresso enthusiasts, Camino de Oro serves as their Signature Espresso Blend ($21.00) , while their Lucem Blend represents what they consider their favorite everyday drinking blend on the market—the result of “a year of healthy debate, a lot of cupping, and multiple roasting trials” . The company also features Miguel Guzman Pacas from Santa Bárbara, Honduras ($26.00) and Niguse Nara Murango from Bensa, Sidamo, Ethiopia ($29.50) .
Merit’s direct relationships shine through offerings like Miguel Guzman’s coffees—a second-generation farmer from El Cedral in Santa Barbara Honduras who inherited his first plot from his father over 30 years ago. Starting small through commercial supply chains, he was introduced to specialty coffee by The San Vicente Mill, Merit’s partners in Honduras. The premiums he received focusing on quality provided the opportunity for him and his wife Elena to put their sons through university. Merit purchased the entirety of Mr Guzman’s crop , offering both his Parainema and Pacas cultivars. Pacas is a direct descendant of the classic bourbon cultivar and is known for its classic soft and sweet profile leaning towards floral and warm spice .