The idea of opening his own place was in his mind when he moved back to Austin, his old college town, in 2002. “I started looking for a place to live, but every time I’d drive around, I’d be looking for coffee shops,” Hogan says. When he spotted the perfect location, he knew it was meant to be. Lucy’s Cakes then occupied the sprawling building on a corner near the UT campus, but Hogan, undaunted, asked for the name of the owner and called him out of the blue, asking if he’d like to sell. As Hogan recounts, the man said, “I can’t believe you called. I just today decided to sell.” “That’s the way everything went after that,” Hogan says.

A spilled cup of joe at a coffee trade show connected Hogan with Jeff Babcock of Seattle-based artisan roaster Zoka Coffee, which now supplies all of the coffee to JP’s. From the moment he decided to get into the coffee business, Hogan was determined to set his place apart. “I wanted the best product,” he says. “And it’s not just the product — it’s the way it’s prepared. The people that taught us are the top of the line.”

And the coffee at JP’s is known as some of the best in the city. The “latte art” the shop is known for, where designs such as leaves are created on the surface of the hot milk in espresso beverages, is an indication that the milk is being steamed correctly. “Our milk, when it’s steamed, is like velvet,” Hogan says. “It’s not foam on top of the drink, it’s tiny microbubbles throughout.” As one would hope, the JP’s bunch are equal sticklers about the way the espresso shots are made. “It’s really an art, not a science,” Hogan explains. Oh, and those gritty bits you sometimes find in your last few sips of cappuccino? Those are a good sign — another indicator that the brew has been done right.

Do the drinks sound enticing? They are. And so is the shop’s homey atmosphere, complete with a friendly staff, a slew of well-educated regulars, a variety of sunlit spots to sit, rotating local art on the walls, and an inviting outdoor deck. During the week, calm pervades most parts of the shop, as students concentrate on laptops or books and others chat with friends or read and write like Hogan used to do in Houston. On the weekends, things are livelier, with the occasional movie or live band playing outside. JP’s is the kind of place that makes you love Austin, with that special combination of quality, uniqueness and cool people that characterizes the city’s best spots. There’s none of the sterility of larger coffee chains, and the drinks are truly tastier.

Of course, Hogan is thrilled with the success of his local business, a place that, in four short years, has developed the air of having been around forever. But, as he says, “I don’t think people should come here just because I’m a local business. I just want to serve them a quality product.”

QUICK INFO - JP’S JAVA
Location: 2803 San Jacinto Blvd
Phone: 512.494.0015
Type: Coffeehouse
Parking: Small Lot & On Street
Kid Friendly: No
Suggested Order: Latte