The owners of Pour Man’s Coffee will serve at one last event before shutting down their year and a half old business.
Recent graduates Daniel Sotelo and David Neill had planned to open a brick-and-mortar coffee shop on Campus Court by September at the location of former Bitsy’s Flower Shop. However, life circumstances changed for both men during the summer and they encountered aspects of business they had not expected, Neill said.
“We had learned a lot of great things and we had a lot of fun doing it,” Neill said. “But here in Abilene it was never going to be something that was gonna go full time.”
The two men decided to end the business and will serve pour-over coffee at one last event on Dec. 9 at the People Party Productions Craft Fair. Neill said the event will be a good way to close the business because they started the stand at the same event in May 2016.
“Setting out, we just wanted to do something different and maybe bring a different coffee philosophy,” Neill said. “We think that we’ve done that.”
Pour Man’s Coffee was known for serving black coffee brewed by micro-roasters with no cream, sugar or syrup. Neill said Beltway Coffee Co. and Nicki’s Swirl Shoppe started selling coffee brewed by micro-roasters in the same ways Pour Mans had, so he thinks Abilene still has other places to find the kind of coffee philosophy Pour Man’s promoted.
In the spring, Neill and Sotelo worked out a deal to open a shop on Campus Court. Building owners Harley Burnett and real estate agent Alex Whitten would allow them to rent the space and would partner in renovations and other aspects of the business. Neill did not disclose what will happen to the 4,000-square-foot building -the only property on Campus Court not owned by the university.
Neill said the university provided support for the business and they were mentored by Dr. Gary McCaleb, vice president of the university, Mayor Anthony Williams, advancement and executive community relations officer, and Craig Fisher, assistant vice president for alumni relations and university relations.
