If your morning caffeine routine is feeling a little stale, downtown Austin is about to get a jolt. Black Fox Coffee, the New York specialty shop co-founded by Australians Daniel Murphy and Gary Hardwick, is opening its first location outside the city on the ground floor of the ATX Tower. The new cafe will roll out a tasting-style Editions program of rare single-origin lots, pair them with French-style pastries, and show off work from local ceramicists. To sweeten the deal, Black Fox is handing out complimentary flat whites to the first 200 guests on opening Friday and Saturday.
According to CultureMap Austin, Black Fox will open at the ATX Tower at 321 W. 6th Street on Friday, May 15, with limited hours for its debut weekend. The shop plans to operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday while it settles into the neighborhood.
CultureMap Austin reports that the Editions pour-over program will spotlight rare varietals, including selections like geshas brewed on a Tone Touch single-serve machine from Sweden. Pastries will be supplied in part by local bakery Swedish Hill, giving the downtown spot a mix of international flex and Austin flavor.
"Since the beginning, our mission has always been to make remarkably good coffee experiences accessible to all," Murphy said in a statement to CultureMap Austin. Black Fox, which launched in 2016, now operates multiple New York locations and roasts its own beans, per the company's website, Black Fox Coffee Co..
What To Expect In The Shop
Black Fox is leaning hard into the details. Pieces by Danish maker MK Studio Ceramics will be used to serve coffee and pastries, turning every cappuccino into a bit of tabletop design. Austin's Hey Moon Ceramics will sell select pieces in the shop, so if you fall in love with your mug, you might be able to take something similar home.
The fit-out emphasizes a warm, neighborhood feel, with interior accents from sculptural studio White Dirt Studios, the company says. The cafe's street-level spot at the ATX Tower places it in the thick of downtown's Sixth Street corridor, according to MapQuest, which means plenty of foot traffic and more than a few curious office workers wandering in for a pour-over.
A Spot In Austin's Specialty Scene
Local guides such as Austinot highlight a wide roster of neighborhood roasters and pour-over bars, from Houndstooth to Cuvée, that have helped build Austin's taste for single-origin and experimental coffees. Black Fox's Editions program and its curated ceramics are clearly aimed at that more exploratory corner of the city's coffee crowd.
For now, Black Fox has shared only its initial hours for opening weekend and plans to publish regular operating hours soon. In the meantime, the new downtown shop looks set to become one to watch for fans of rare single-origin coffees and experimental brewing techniques who want something a little more adventurous than their usual drip.
