Relocation and expansion of Houston-based “third-wave” coffee shop
Locally-roasted coffee, expertly-curated tea, local draft kombucha and beer, fresh-daily baked goods and food items
Built by rootlab, a design and fabrication workshop owned by three members of the Giant Leap team
Giant Leap Coffee, LLC has successfully met its maximum goal and is closing its offering early, with a new closing date of February 7, 2020. If Giant Leap Coffee falls under its maximum funding goal, it will continue to accept investments until the new closing date.
Giant Leap Coffee is a space-themed “third-wave” coffee shop in Houston, TX serving up stellar locally-roasted coffee, expertly-curated tea, local draft kombucha and beer, fresh-daily baked goods and food items. Currently located in Houston’s East End, Giant Leap is opening a brand new location in the Uptown Park development near the Galleria, and moving their existing location to The Plant, a new mixed-use development in the heart of the vibrant East End.
The new locations, like the original, will be fully designed and built by rootlab, a custom design a fabrication workshop started by three members of the Giant Leap team. The spaces will feature a cozy retro-future aesthetic and a high-end-yet-hand-made feel. Custom design elements will exist in every aspect of the business, from the custom-fired ceramic espresso cups to the handmade walnut board that the cups sit in.
Proudly serving coffee from Houston’s own Amaya Roasting, Giant Leap’s mission is to create a “space” where great coffee, inspired design, warm service and goofy space puns meet.
The majority of revenue for Giant Leap is generated from sales of non-alcoholic beverages, and is supplemented by alcohol and food sales, two revenue streams that are being scaled up with this expansion. The new location at The Plant will be a larger, higher visibility space with more parking and a back of house prep kitchen that will significantly reduce costs and increase profits on food. Uptown Park, located in a higher traffic and higher income area, will serve additional sweets and treats in order to attract more people as they shop in the surrounding retail shops. The kitchen at The Plant will provide fresh daily pastries and sweets to Uptown Park.
Giant Leap’s second location will be located at the Uptown Park shopping center just outside of the loop near the Galleria, an affluent yet underserved area. The coffee shop will be a brand new 650 square-foot stand-alone structure designed and built by rootlab. The design, build, electrical and plumbing and whiteboxing of the structure is fully funded by EDENS, the owner of the shopping center.
Located on a high-traffic promenade connecting two of the primary shopping structures at Uptown Park, the space will heavily reference the original Giant Leap location— a fun, retro-futuristic design drawing heavily from the history of space exploration. The customer can order and quickly receive their coffee, this location will feature 400 square feet of outdoor patio space along the promenade.
Construction is well-underway at Uptown Park, with a completed foundation, steel structure, framing, sheathing and roof. The building will be “dried in” before the end of the year, allowing for the final interior buildout to begin.
The current flagship location in the East End will be relocated to The Plant, a 20,000 square foot warehouse on the corner of Harrisburg and Sampson. The Plant is currently in development and will house several large business offices as well as several other retail, creative and artisan spaces. Giant Leap will remain open at its current East End location until the space at The Plant is move-in ready.
The space will be redeveloped from raw warehouse into a cafe space with a kitchen and large open air patio. The expanded footprint at The Plant will allow the business to flourish beyond its current 650 sq ft space into a 3200 sq ft space and deliver on customer requests for more indoor and outdoor space, more parking, more visibility and a larger food menu.
Having already established a local customer base in the neighborhood, Giant Leap is ready to solidify its position as the neighborhood’s go-to coffee shop providing a premium, consistent product and friendly staff.
Giant Leap Coffee sources its food and beverage products from producers and roasters that share an unfailing dedication to quality and service. It is this commitment to sustainable business practices, local growers, and personal service that makes these vendors the best choices for Giant Leap.
The design and atmosphere of the two new Giant Leap Coffee locations will expand on the theme of original location— a fun, retro-futuristic design that heavily draws from the history of space exploration and sci-fi culture. Much of the existing buildout and furnishings will be utilized in the new locations, including the ceiling, banquette, cabinetry, furniture and equipment.
At Uptown Park, the space will be designed to maximize a small footprint and create an efficient service environment that flows customers in and out while emphasizing the outdoor patio and promenade access. The larger space at The Plant will be primarily focused on customers who want to stay for a while and study, meet up with friends, have meetings or relax in their new living-room-away-from-home. Two roll up doors will be converted into glass and steel store fronts, while one of the large industrial bays will be made into an open-air atrium with a large open-air skylight.
In keeping with the spirit of Giant Leap's lighthearted love of all things space-related, the team is producing a comic strip featuring 'The Cosmic Adventures of Buzz & Bean'. Following an adventuresome duo searching the galaxy for supreme caffeinations, the strip captures all of the quirky charm on display at Giant Leap's two outposts. This buzz-worthy strip will serve as a fun way to reach new fans and build the brand as Giant Leap's footprint increases across Houston.
Before co-founding Giant Leap Coffee, Logan co-founded Root Lab LLC, a design and fabrication workshop that creates beautiful and functional custom architectural elements and furniture for inspired commercial and residential spaces. Logan has a B.A. in Visual Arts from Rice University.
In addition to her experience co-founding Giant Leap Coffee, Lauren is an operations manager at Parkside Capital, a real estate investment firm. Lauren has a B.A . in Liberal Arts from Southwestern University.
A managing partner of Root Lab LLC, Eric is a craftsman with a strong background in both physical and digital creation. Before joining Root Lab LLC, Eric was a Project Manager for Mainland Construction LLC. Eric has a B.A. in Visual Arts from Rice University.
Troy is the COO and co-founder of Root Lab LLC, and specializes in project management, project development, modeling, fabrication, and strategic planning. Troy has a B.A. in Fine Arts and Sculpture from the University of Houston.
Private Tasting Options ($5,000+ investment)
Pick One: Coffee: You and +1 get to join other investors to learn how to pull a shot and make it taste good, learn the basics of latte art. Focus on taste, texture, the ins and outs of why a good cortado tastes the way it does: temperature. milk fat, milk sourcing. Discuss coffee sourcing, sustainability and supply chain. Tea: You and +1 get to join other investors to learn the basics of tea: Tasting of different types of tea and how the different processes involved in producing tea influences taste. Little bit of history, little bit of geography, little bit of science."
Bonus rewards are offered by the Issuer purely on a voluntary basis and do not influence the terms of the Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, the bonus rewards are not contractual conditions governed by the Note Purchase Agreement and are not enforceable under the Note Purchase Agreement.
