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Austin, TX

Building an Austin café that pairs Asian-American coffee creations with community-driven cultural programming.

• Founder expertise: Thirteen-year service-industry veteran with specialty coffee certification and event-management background.
• Cultural fusion menu: Drinks and pastries showcase flavors like pandan, yuzu, and black sesame using natural ingredients.
• Community focus: Planned language exchanges, art markets, and evening beer-and-wine hours encourage local engagement.
• Grant recognition: Winner of Faire’s Open with Faire Grant and Community Choice Awards in spring 2025.
• Ethical vision: Commitment to fair labor, equitable sourcing, and sustainability guides every operational decision.

Lau Lau is an Asian-American–inspired specialty coffee shop set to open in Austin, Texas, that blends craft beverages with cultural storytelling. Founder Hannah Foy draws on thirteen years in hospitality and her mixed-heritage roots to create drinks like black-sesame cold brew and lychee-matcha spritzes alongside pastries sourced from local bakers in the diaspora community. The shop will also retail curated pantry goods and art, transforming everyday coffee runs into opportunities to explore flavor traditions from across Asia and the Pacific while fostering a sense of belonging for under-represented voices.

Designed as a people-first space, Lau Lau will host language-exchange meetups, pop-ups with immigrant chefs, and seasonal tea ceremonies, positioning itself as both neighborhood café and cultural venue. Funds from this offering will finish plumbing and electrical work, acquire espresso and roasting equipment, furnish the 1,100-square-foot storefront, and provide working capital for payroll and inventory during the first months of operation. By pairing inclusive programming with meticulous barista craft, Lau Lau aims to diversify Austin’s coffee landscape and prove that equitable labor practices and commercial success can thrive together.

Company Info

Lau Lau is an upcoming Austin café that serves specialty drinks and pastries inspired by Asian-American flavors while hosting community-driven cultural events.

Lau Lau is an Austin, Texas coffee shop that weaves Asian-American heritage into third-wave café culture. Founder Hannah Foy draws on more than a decade in food and beverage to design a beverage menu that pairs carefully sourced espresso with flavors such as black-sesame mocha, yuzu cold brew, and pandan-coconut cortado. Pastries highlight regional producers alongside ingredients like ube, miso, and matcha, while a curated retail corner features ceramics, pantry goods, and art from Asian-American makers. The 1,200-square-foot space combines warm wood, terrazzo counters, and lantern-inspired lighting to evoke both Texas hospitality and East-Asian home kitchens.

Planned as a people-first gathering place, Lau Lau will host pop-ups, poetry nights, and heritage-focused workshops that broaden the city’s café landscape and foster cultural exchange. Funds from its community raise complete plumbing and electrical build-outs, outfit the bar with espresso and filtration systems, and provide working capital for fair-wage staffing during the first months of operation. Future phases include an evening wine-and-beer program, a shaded patio, and a quarterly market that spotlights women- and immigrant-owned food brands. By centering equitable labor practices and inclusive programming, Lau Lau aims to become a neighborhood institution where coffee, culture, and community flourish together.