Tucked into San Antonio’s vibrant Eastside, Estate Coffee Co. has quietly become a beloved mainstay—part roastery, part neighborhood anchor. At the helm is Brian LaBarbera, whose passion for craft and community has helped shape the shop’s identity as more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee. In our conversation, LaBarbera opens up about the parallels between fine-tuning roasted beans and automobile engines, his evolving philosophy on growth, the intersection of coffee and cocktails, and the local haunts that inspire him.
MiSA: Estate Coffee Company has been a fixture in the downtown area since 2016. How would you describe the evolution of the San Antonio coffee scene since you first opened your doors?
BL: The growth has been really impressive to watch. I think back in 2018, when Mike Sutter did a specialty coffee shop tour of San Antonio, there were 28 shops on that list. Most recently, I believe it's around 58. Overall, it’s a good thing. I like going to shops so I want there to be more quality offerings, and ultimately, it’s going to help expose coffee to more San Antonio folks who don’t currently drink it. I do worry that we don’t have the market to support all of the specialty operations so I hope everyone can hang in there over the next couple years. It’s also great that most shops get along and promote each other. We are all in this together and I wish every shop were on board with that idea. If there was one thing that I think we could do better and sort of miss from the pre-COVID days, the coffee community was really tight, and everyone knew each other.
MiSA: Your roasting approach is a defining aspect of Estate Coffee. Can you walk us through your process — from sourcing beans to the final roast — and how your upbringing in New Orleans and Houston might have influenced your flavor profiles?
BL: I started off as a roaster, so my initial focus was always to make the coffee exceptional before it was brewed. We want to source coffee that is not only high quality and tastes great, but it has to be affordable. So our big focus right now is making sure we can have as many direct relationships with farmers as possible. Brokers are great and definitely serve a purpose, but with direct relationships we can make sure that the farmer is getting more money and, in return, we are getting the best quality each year. Once we have the coffee, our roast philosophy is really simple and hasn’t really changed much from the beginning. We don’t have a fancy roaster with automation, and it doesn’t have a huge capacity. We prefer fewer variables and old-fashioned knobs and buttons. It really forces us to focus on the roasting process as opposed to purely focusing on production volume.
I wish my upbringing had more of an influence! Unfortunately, I don’t think I really cared about food or coffee until I was an adult, maybe 26 or so. So I do think I missed out. I come from an Italian/German family, so the food side was very traditional, and I know most coffee preference in those circles is dark. So, if anything, maybe I can say that influenced me to absolutely hate dark roasted coffee (and no, we will not roast our coffee dark).
MiSA: As a coffee professional and a classic BMW enthusiast, are there any parallels between restoring a vintage car and perfecting a coffee roast?
BL: If anything, my passion for cars has led me to being very handy, and I can pretty much fix anything. I think that can also be good for diagnosing things and general critical thinking skills. So when it comes to tinkering with a roast profile to change how a coffee can taste in regards to acidity, body, flavor, etc., I can be a little more technical and patient with that. I spend a lot of time and effort making sure we have the right equipment, making sure everything is maintained, and the right settings. Every day, we have to dial in the coffee to make sure it tastes best so I think having the skill set to step back and look at all the variables and how they make the final product work right is very important and probably relatable to being able to work on a car.
MiSA: San Antonio is known for its vibrant culinary landscape, being a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Do you have any tips on pairing your roasts with local foods, and do you collaborate with other local businesses?
BL: I really love seeing the coffee used in cocktails. Primarily espresso because to me it just has so much more flavor and body to it, so using it in a martini or carajillo is so delicious. Attaboy does an excellent job of this and they really do things right when it comes to serving our coffee and of course serving an excellent brunch menu. We have a bunch of awesome wholesale clients that do an excellent job and really take their coffee program seriously, a few to mention would be Extra Fine, Honchos, Mixtli, Schilos Deli, Signature, The Beignet Stand just to name a few.
MiSA: You’ve called San Antonio home since 2007. What are some of your favorite spots in the city to relax, find inspiration, or enjoy a perfectly brewed cup of coffee outside of your own shop?
BL: I have an almost 2-year-old now, so most of my time is spent with her at Pearl. It’s such a nice place for her to play and run around. They do a great job with the landscaping and having multiple areas to relax. As far as Pearl goes I think Pullman is the best asset. The variety of things to eat and drink under one roof is amazing, and I think San Antonio is super lucky to have something like that.
As far as inspiration goes, at this moment in my life, I’m really enjoying landscaping and plants, so the Botanical Gardens are really fun to get lost in. We also love to load the e-bike up and hit the Mission trails and check out all the spots along the way. It’s so nice that we have these historic landmarks in our Backyard. I enjoy going to Stranded, Gold, Theory, Pullman and Bright.
As for the future, LaBarbera has never been one to let Estate Coffee sit still for long. With an eye for detail and a restless creative energy, he’s already envisioning a light remodel—this time focusing on a new banquette and bar to fine-tune the space once more.
You can find Brian and team working hard on your next brew at 1320 East Houston Street A101. Visit their website for daily hours and to place an order. Keep up with them on Instagram at @estatecoffeeco .