5 Socially Conscious Coffee Shops in Houston

If you’re like me, coffee is a necessity. I remember working at Barnes & Noble Cafe after graduating HS and not appreciating coffee like I do now. Smh. I got 50% off of any item on the menu and I never even bought coffee! Ridic, I know!

It wasn’t until my sophomore year in college that I needed an energy boost for all the late-night homework/study sessions, so I turned to coffee. I basically lived at coffee shops throughout my time in college. With the large saturation of coffee shops in Houston, I decided it would be best to see which ones are actively working to making a difference.

Here it goes (in no particular order):

1. Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co.

   Well, this one technically isn’t in Houston, but it’s worth the drive to the suburbs of Cypress. This coffee shop is all about doing good and giving back to the farmers from which they get their coffee from. They have a “Do Good Initiative” where they have ongoing projects that help the people of Rwanda and neighboring communities. Some of their current projects include the Nziza Collective, Do Good Health and the Evergreen Water Project. It’s truly inspiring to see how much this company appreciates and cares for their farmers. My favorite coffee drink of all-time is actually from here! I get a Caramanilla Latte with almond milk.

2. A 2nd Cup

   

   This non-profit coffee shop is all about raising awareness about human trafficking. With Houston being one of the largest hubs for human trafficking, this organization is vital to have in a city like this. They have in-house events year-round to help inform the public about what human trafficking is and about how to help. They also have resources to those survivors closely affected by human trafficking. If you’re ever in the Heights area, I would definitely recommend checking this place out.

3. Paper Co. Cafe

   This coffee shop is all about giving back to the homeless population in Houston. They make sure that everyone who walks through their doors doesn’t go hungry. Prices are on a sliding scale, but they encourage customers to pay the suggested price (or more) to provide for those that can’t afford to eat. Every month they partner with Ecclesia Houston to provide BBQ for anyone who wants to go. This place might be a little hidden, but it is worth the effort!

4. Throughgood Coffee

   

   Much like the coffee shop above, this one also provides for the homeless population in Houston. They founded an organization called Temenos Community Development Corporation, which provides housing and useful resources to previously homeless people. A portion of the proceeds from their coffee shop goes to initiatives to help people on their transition to stability. Oh, and did I mention this place is owned by Beyoncé’s spiritual advisor, Pastor Rudy Rasmus!

5. El Gato Coffeehouse

   

   This is the first cat cafe in Houston! They teamed up with Friends for Life and are constantly rotating out cats so that they can get adopted. The cafe and the cats are in two separate rooms, so no worries about getting cat hair in your coffee! They have events all year-round that are a lot of fun. I attended one of their first “Yoga with Cats” events and I was actually featured on the news for it! Click here to watch LOL. While I was in college, I had the opportunity to work on a social media campaign for this organization and got to meet the owner about her vision for El Gato and I was truly inspired by her passion for cats and coffee.

Thank you so much for reading and hopefully you check one of these local coffee shops out! If I missed any, just comment below and let me know so I can check them out!