Kora Kora Coffee

We are trained in the techniques of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and focused on making perfectly timed espresso, quality brewed coffee, and custom latte art. We proudly serve Rococo Coffee Roasters out of Kirkland, Washington due to their dedication to quality, unique blends and single-origin coffees and Texas Artisan Roasters single origin espresso roasted right here in New Braunfels, Texas. Come in and try a single origin espresso or macchiato, smooth brewed coffee and teas, or cool down with a blended or iced coffee or fruit smoothie. We offer large open area seating, free Wi-Fi with any purchase, a speedy drive-thru window, and delicious scones and other pastries, and breakfast tacos locally made at El Tamarindo! This is the perfect place to sit down and chat with your friends, get some studying or work done, or just simply get your gourmet coffee fix.

About the Owner : Josh Cunningham
I’ve been working in the specialty coffee industry for over a decade. I am registered with the Barista Guild of America (BGA) and have completed advanced coursework with the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). I started my career in coffee right here in New Braunfels in 2003 and stuck with it when I was a student in Miami, Florida. I worked for a well-known international chain and then managed an independent, high volume kiosk in South Miami Baptist Hospital for several years. But it wasn’t until I moved to Kirkland, Washington in 2009 that a true all-star barista finally introduced me to what an espresso was really supposed to taste like. It was at this moment that I knew I wanted to one day own my own shop. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by greats in the coffee industry of the Pacific Northwest and learned a lot from them as they answered my tireless questions. I eventually got a job as a barista and later manager of a shop in downtown Kirkland. It was here that I met and trained under Adam Olsen, a Q-certified taster, barista competition judge, certified roaster, and co-founder of Rococo Coffee Roasting (www.rocococoffee.com). From him I learned the importance of beautifully presented, great tasting brews and espresso and learned the skills to prepare them. After living in West Africa for a while, (see “What’s with the Name?”) I moved back to New Braunfels where I eventually managed Gruene Grind Coffee Co. and was allowed to introduce Rococo Coffee to my hometown. I love that I can bring the great coffee and great knowledge I discovered in the Pacific Northwest back to Texas. With the unfailing help of my employer at Gruene Grind Coffee Co, John McMillan, I was able to secure the location and materials to create Kora Kora Coffee in Gruene Lake Village. With specialty coffee, there is always more to learn, and I enjoy challenging myself with new skills, methods and latte art design. And, of course, I am always willing to “nerd out” about coffee with customers.

What’s with the Name?:
Kora Kora was the name given to me by the people of the small village of Boukombé, Benin in West Africa where I was Peace Corps volunteer. Kora Kora means “mixture” in the Ditammari language which is spoken, in some variation of dialect, by the 90,000 or so Betammaribé people that live in the area near the borders of Benin, Togo, Mali and Burkina-Faso. The national language of Benin is French, but there are 60 different local languages all over the country. I had to learn French before I was sent to my post in Boukombé, but Ditammari was the local language; I tried my best to learn as much of it as I could, but I could only manage to learn a couple handfuls of phrases. However, one of the first phrases I learned was how to ask for 100 francs worth of the local beer, tchouk (choo-k), in the beer stalls on market days. You see, there are two types of beer, both served warm, still fermenting in half of a hollowed out gourd: The heavily fermented and the lightly fermented. I preferred a mixture of the two which sounds like: N’do datapita Kora Kora. The locals were astonished that the white American could speak their language, even if it was a little broken. From then on, the people in my village referred to me as Kora Kora because I was a “mixture” of the language, culture and, of course, because of my preference for the local beer.